HARRISBURG, PA — As precision medicine continues to reshape the landscape of healthcare, one faculty member at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is working to ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are equipped to bring its benefits directly to patients. Professor Erik Hefti, PharmD, MS, PhD, recently developed a continuing education course titled, “Pharmacogenomics in Practice: Enhancing Patient Care Through Genetic Insights,” providing a practical, accessible approach to a rapidly evolving field.
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how an individual’s genetic makeup influences their response to medications. Despite the growing accessibility of genetic testing, its integration into everyday pharmacy practice has been slow, due to a number of factors including limited awareness and training among healthcare professionals.
Dr. Hefti’s course aims to change this by offering community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians a clear, application-based pathway to understanding and implementing pharmacogenomic testing in real-world settings. The free course guides pharmacists and pharmacy technicians through:
- Core pharmacogenomics principles.
- Gene-drug interaction identification.
- Practical strategies for incorporating testing into community pharmacy workflows.
- Learning the skills necessary to identify patients who may benefit from pharmacogenomic testing.
- Interpreting basic results.
- Adjusting medication therapy accordingly, while also navigating the common barriers that can arise during implementation.
For Professor Hefti, developing the course was both a professional challenge and a deeply meaningful endeavor:
“My hope is that this continuing education program can improve the overall understanding of pharmacogenomics and potential applications in the community practice setting,” said Dr. Hefti. “This program aims to fill some key gaps of knowledge that may exist while highlighting barriers to personalized medicine that continue to slow implementation.”
With pharmacogenomic testing becoming increasingly relevant to the medications that are dispensed in community settings, Professor Hefti’s course fills a critical gap in continuing pharmacy education. By empowering pharmacy teams with both the knowledge and the practical tools to incorporate genetic insights into patient care, his work represents a meaningful step forward for the profession and for the patients who depend on it.
The course is available free of charge through Pharmacy Times and is approved for 1.0 contact hour of continuing education credit to maintain pharmacy licensure or pharmacy technician certification until December 19, 2026.
# # #
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is an independent, nonprofit university offering degrees in advanced manufacturing, engineering, robotics, nursing, cybersecurity, and other critical fields. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, HU serves a diverse student body through bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs that link learning and research with practical applications. For information about HU’s affordable STEM degrees and professional development programs, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay in the know by following Harrisburg University on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT
Do you have questions about this story? Interested in lining up an interview? Please contact Dan Wilhelm, Communications Manager for Harrisburg University, at DWilhelm@HarrisburgU.edu or 717.901.5100×1724.
# # #
