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. 2025 Oct 22;25(6):29.
doi: 10.1038/s41397-025-00388-9.

Evaluation of experiential teaching approaches to enhance pharmacy students' confidence and knowledge in pharmacogenomics

Ruby Soueid  1 , Toni J F Michael  1 , Pete Yeap  1 , Betty Chaar  1 , Fanfan Zhou  1 , Melanie White-Koning  1   2 , Stephen Hughes  1 , Rose Cairns  1 , Kellie A Charles  1 , Sophie L Stocker  3   4   5
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Evaluation of experiential teaching approaches to enhance pharmacy students' confidence and knowledge in pharmacogenomics

Ruby Soueid et al. Pharmacogenomics J. .

Abstract

Pharmacogenomic services are commonly pharmacist-led, yet pharmacists report poor knowledge and confidence in application. This study evaluated an experiential teaching approach to enhance students' confidence and knowledge in pharmacogenomics. Customised modules were delivered to three cohorts of second-year undergraduate pharmacy students. Cohort A received lectures and a tutorial; Cohort B added self-testing; Cohort C (same as B) added a case-based workshop and assignment. Students were predominantly female (64%) and half were younger than 20 years old. Self-perceived confidence, assessed using pre- and post-module surveys, significantly improved across all cohorts, in applying pharmacogenomic skills, recognising pharmacists' roles and perceptions towards self-testing. Students who self-tested in Cohort C reported greater confidence (e.g., "patient education testing risks": 26% test vs 0% no test). Knowledge, assessed using examination scores ranged from 70-74% across cohorts, showing no significant differences. Our findings suggest that experiential learning enhances confidence, supporting greater integration of pharmacogenomics into future practice.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study received ethical approval from The University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC 2022/250). All methods were performed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. Students provided written informed consent and were assured that participation would not influence their grade.

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