The PGRN Translational Pharmacogenetics Program (TPP) publishes paper on overcoming challenges of real-world implementation

The Translational Pharmacogenetics Program (TPP) is a Pharmacogenomics Research Network (PGRN)-led initiative with the goal to identify barriers and develop real-world solutions to implement evidence-based pharmacogenetic tests in diverse health care settings. The participating sites include 6 implementation institutions (Universityof Maryland, University of Florida, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Vanderbilt University, Mayo Clinic, and Ohio State University),  as well as PharmGKB which serves a coordination and knowledge sharing and dissemination role and  Pharmacogenomic Ontology (PHONT) at the Mayo Clinic which provides data harmonization and standardization support.The TPP investigators has published the design manuscript in Clin Pharmacol Ther this month. This paper discusses challenges and implementation barriers to translation of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice. Each implementation site institutes CLIA-based pharmacogenomics testing, reports results in EHR for clinical decision and tracks summary descriptions and implementation metrics to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of implementation. TPP also creates "look up" tables(posted on PharmGKB) which contain phenotype and clinical decision support system information based on haplotypes and diplotypes. These tables “complement the existing CPIC guidelines by providing therapy recommendations for a more comprehensive coverage of pharmacogenetic test results. They represent the current state of knowledge and demonstrate the range of observed results and recommended actions across sites”.Read more:The Pharmacogenomics Research Network Translational Pharmacogenetics Program: Overcoming Challenges of Real-World Implementation.Shuldiner AR, Relling MV, Peterson JF, Hicks K, Freimuth RR, Sadee W, Pereira NL, Roden DM, Johnson JA, Klein TE. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2013 Mar 19. doi: 10.1038/clpt.2013.59.