PGXL to Train PharmD Candidates in Genetics

PGXL Laboratories will provide training in state-of-the-art gene-based drug dosing for 3^rd year PharmD students from the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy (SUCOP).

The five-week clinical rotation will provide real-practice experience under the supervision of some of the world’s leading clinical practitioners of pharmacogenetics. The students will learn to perform and interpret PGXL’s advanced drug sensitivity test panel, which assays 15 genes affecting the metabolism, transport and activity of medication in the body.

“One of PGXL’s missions is to train the next generation of medical professionals,” says Dr. Roland Valdes Jr., President of PGXL and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Louisville. “For these students, pharmacogenetics will be an important dimension of their practice in enabling personalize medicine. We are thrilled, as part of our community engagement, to be able to jump-start their understanding of this important new discipline.”

The educational collaboration between PGXL and SUCOP has been in the works for more than a year. Several Sullivan students have interned at PGXL, and PGXL scientists have lectured at the school.

“SUCOP is beyond excited that PGXL has provided us with this opportunity for collaborative research for both faculty and students,” said Dr. Sarah Smith, Executive Director of Experiential Education at SUCOP. “For the students, timing is everything. This is a brand new facet of optimizing medication therapy in which few pharmacists are trained. SUCOP students will get this training during their tenure at the college, allowing them to implement pharmacogenetics testing and interpretation into their practice early.”