Preparing pharmacists to manage gene therapies

Abstract

This commentary provides a background on gene therapy and identifies a critical gap in pharmacy practice education. The history and handling of gene therapy is contextualized with current pharmacy practice. With the increasing numbers of gene and cell-based therapies approaching the market, the need for appropriate training is greater than ever. There are few gene therapy training resources for pharmacists, and gene therapies require complex handing and administration. Pharmacists play a vital role in bringing new therapies to health care institutions and training other health care providers. Pharmacy organizations and health systems should work to develop gene therapy training resources for health-system pharmacists.