Ohio Northern University's Raabe College of Pharmacy on Leading Edge of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine, Launches Genome Blog

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Feb 15, 2012, 06:00 ET

ADA, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern University is embarking on a significant educational and scientific journey to keep students and the pharmacy profession on the leading edge of medical advances by focusing on pharmacogenomics education. The college is leading the way by integrating pharmacogenomics into medication therapy management (MTM).

"Pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine are the future of the pharmacy profession, and Ohio Northern is the only school to put a six-year emphasis on pharmacogenetic training," says Dr. Jon E. Sprague, dean of the college. "Our pharmacy curriculum includes a broad approach as students are introduced to pharmacogenomics, the influence of genetic variation on drug action and personalized medicine in their first semester at ONU."

More than a decade ago, the Human Genome Project, to sequence the human DNA, was completed. One of the "off-shoots" was the start of direct-to-consumer personal genome companies. To address the ethical, legal, business and health care questions, Ohio Northern is offering an elective course, Personal Genome Evaluation. Faculty members from Anderson (S.C.) University and Clemson University also provided input.

While the course provides academic credit to ONU students, the blog (pgxcheck.com) and Twitter (@pgxcheck) feed are publicly available. "The blog introduces individuals to personal genome information, something society will certainly encounter as health care moves forward," said Dr. David Kisor, professor of pharmacokinetics at Ohio Northern. "In history, we rarely have the opportunity to be part of something that promises to profoundly change our world. In medicine, in pharmacy, it is genomics."

Additionally, students from five other universities are participating in ONU's course.

Other team members include Dr. Jeffery Talbot, assistant professor of pharmacology at ONU, and Dr. Michael Kane, visiting research scientist at ONU and associate professor in Purdue University's Department of Computer and Information Technology. Kane is participating in a yearlong sabbatical at Ohio Northern's College of Pharmacy and also serves as the lead genomic scientist in the Bindley Bioscience Center at Purdue's Discovery Park, with applied expertise in genomics and biomedical informatics.

Useful Links:
Personalized Medicine at Ohio Northern University
Raabe College of Pharmacy at Ohio Northern
Tom Menighan, APhA, delivers Sebok Pharmacy Lecture and comments on future of pharmacy
Understanding Pharmacogenomics: Video
Evidence of Excellence: Dr. Jeffery Talbot
Email Drs. Sprague or Kisor

SOURCE Ohio Northern University