Actionable drug-gene interactions identified in 19.1 to 21.1 percent of all new prescriptions for 56 drugs<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, Feb. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Actionable drug-gene interactions occur frequently in primary care in the United Kingdom, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Essra Youssef, from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, and colleagues analyzed a large community pharmacy database to estimate the national incidence of first prescriptions for 56 drugs used in the United Kingdom during Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2019, that would be impacted by implementation of a population-level, preemptive pharmacogenetic screening program for nine genes related to these medicines. The occurrence of actionable drug-gene interactions was estimated using prescription volumes combined with phenotype frequency data.<\/p>\n The researchers found that an actionable drug-gene interaction was present in between 19.1 and 21.1 percent (5,233,353 to 5,780,595) of all new prescriptions for 56 drugs (27,411,288 new prescriptions\/year). The drug-gene interaction would result in increased monitoring, guarding against a maximum ceiling dose, or an optional or immediate drug\/dose change in these cases. If the screening was applied to all prescriptions, 8.6 to 9.1 percent would lead to an immediate dose adjustment or change in drug regimen.<\/p>\n “Better selection of medicines based on a patient’s genetic information could mean less side effects and better treatment outcomes,” Youssef said in a statement. “This not only benefits the patient but also the National Health Service, as patients may not need to return to their general practitioner so often to change their medication.”<\/p>\n