British Colombia pharmacies selected for genomics project

The British Colombia Pharmacy Association (BCPA) announced today that 22 pharmacies in British Colombia have been selected to participate in a research project aimed at bringing personalized medicines to patients through community pharmacies.

The project, “Genomics for Precision Drug Therapy in the Community Pharmacy,” is the first of its kind in North America and is funded by the BCPA and Genome BC. A team from the University of British Colombia’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences will complete the project’s research.

The research project focuses on using community pharmacists to collect saliva samples in order to test how an individual’s DNA can affect medication selection and dosage. UBC researchers will then process and sequence the DNA samples.

"With the modern genome technology used in this project, the idea of personalized medicine can become a reality," UBC lead researcher Corey Nislow said."We know there are more than 150 medications that are impacted by an individual's DNA. This project is about using that genetic information to make decisions about which medications are right for a patient – the right drug in the right dosage at the right time."

Selected pharmacy locations participating in the study are in Courtenay, Burnaby, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Enderby, Houston, Hope, Kelowna, Kamloops, Penticton, Port Coquitlam, Prince George, Port McNeil, Surrey, Victoria, Vancouver and Williams Lake.