Hospital Directors' and Community Pharmacists' Attitudes Towards Pharmacogenomics Research and a DNA Bank in Japan

The objective of this study was to evaluate hospital directors' (study A) and community pharmacists' (study B) attitudes towards pharmacogenomics research and DNA banks in Japan. This is significant because pharmacotherapy is offered by both community pharmacies and hospitals in Japan. A total of 943 directors of all Japanese national, municipal and university hospitals were chosen for the study A. For the study B, 905 community pharmacists were randomly selected among pharmacies in all prefectures in Japan. The response rates were 45.0% (study A) and 37.5% (study B). The majority (> 75%) of both hospital directors and community pharmacists displayed a positive attitude towards pharmacogenomics research and DNA banks. By contrast, in terms of the attitudes for becoming involved in DNA sample collection, a marked asymmetry was observed: 61.3% of the directors showed a positive attitude while only 27.9% of the pharmacists had a positive attitude to be involved in DNA sample collection. Respondents collectively indicated three barriers to DNA sample collection: 1) necessity for clear definition of appropriate management of confidential information, 2) need for explanation of the aim of a DNA bank, and 3) understanding of how the research results will be utilized/published. Since asymmetries/discordance in perceptions of stakeholders can pose a formidable barrier in diffusion of innovations, prospective policies on pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine are needed to foster mutual understanding among hospital directors and community pharmacists in Japan. Additionally, these observations call for comparative social science data on pharmacogenomics and society from other global regions.