The Role of Pharmacogenomics in Addressing Health Disparities: The Path, The Promise, and The Barriers

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Background

Despite rapid advancements in the ability of genetic technologies to detect disease risk and optimize disease management, the utilization of genomic information to ameliorate health disparities in underserved populations remains an area of great need for research and implementation. High variability in treatment response may significantly contribute to the health disparities observed in select populations, leading to disproportionate disease prevalence. While genetics, among other risk factors, can affect disease liability among some population groups, strategies to use genetic information to inform optimal disease management—maximizing benefit and minimizing risk—also vary by population. Recently, robust efforts have been made to demonstrate the utility of pharmacogenomics in tailoring therapies, yet there is a paucity of research on the role of pharmacogenomics in addressing health disparities. Pharmacogenomics is a robust theoretical framework to improve healthcare delivery; however, this tool has not been broadly adopted as an operational framework to reduce health disparities.

We aim to challenge pharmacogenomics stakeholders to share their perspectives on the role of pharmacogenomics in ameliorating health disparities and promoting health equity. This Special Topic will provide a platform to share real-world barriers and facilitators to fully garner the benefits of pharmacogenomics. Displaying the role of pharmacogenomics in the context of improving health equity for underserved populations can provide a better understanding of the challenges to broadening access to pharmacogenomics research and implementation. While challenges in translating pharmacogenomics into routine clinical practice remain, the primary objective of this Special Topic is to allow contributors to provide a balanced approach to adopting this tool to address major public health issues marked by significant health disparities.

Pharmacogenomics has not been adequately explored on an institutional level to address real-world challenges affecting disparities in public health. The broad adoption of pharmacogenomics as an operational framework to optimize population health and reduce the burden of health disparities warrants further exploration of the appropriate uses of pharmacogenomic information as a public health tool.

The aim of this Research Topic is to provide a collection of papers that will evaluate the research and implementation of pharmacogenomics to address health disparities and enhance equity in access to pharmacogenomics research and implementation. We encourage authors to contribute Original Research, Review, Mini-review, Systematic Review, and Case Report articles focusing on the following topics, including but not limited to:

- Novel genetic associations with disease risk or treatment outcomes in diverse population

- Pharmacogenetic studies in diverse populations, particularly underrepresented populations, including studies that reproduce previous genetic associations

- Studies demonstrating a genetic link to health disparities

- Real-world challenges in implementing pharmacogenomics into clinical practice with underserved populations

- Targeted implementation studies demonstrating the use of pharmacogenetic clinical decision support to improve treatment outcomes

- Cost-effectiveness studies evaluating the use of pharmacogenetic testing versus the standard of care

- Public health impact associated with pharmacogenomics implementation

- Key stakeholder knowledge and beliefs about pharmacogenomics and its clinical utility

Keywords: Race, Ethnicity, Minorities, Population Genetics, Epidemiology, Healthcare, Public Health, Pharmacogenomics, Pharmacogenetics, Health Disparities, Health Equity

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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