This webinar introduces key concepts in pharmacogenomics and describe the current evidence base.
Pharmacogenomics can be implemented pre-emptively where you use knowledge of genetic variants to personalise prescribing, or reactively where you test for a genetic variant after the patient has had a response to a medication. Through several clinical scenarios, the relevance of pharmacogenomics will be discussed, and existing testing pathways will be highlighted. Plans for development of a future pharmacogenomic service in the NHS will be outlined, detailing how this might impact healthcare professionals across the health system.
There is considerable inter-individual variability in the response to medicines. Although the reasons for this are multifactorial, it is well recognised that genetic variants play a significant contributory role - a concept known as pharmacogenomics. Variants in DNA are associated with both higher risk of adverse drug reactions, which are burdensome to patients and costly to healthcare systems, and lack of efficacy.
Speaker
Dr John McDermott is an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Manchester and a Clinical Genetics Speciality Registrar. He was appointed as the UK’s first Academic Clinical Fellow in Genomic Medicine in 2016. Working at the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine (MCGM) his research focuses on the application genetic and genomic technologies in the acute and everyday healthcare settings.
Dr Emma Magavern is a Clinical Lecturer and a Clinical Pharmacology and Internal Medicine doctor. She completed her PhD in pharmacogenomics at the William Harvey Research Institute, QMUL. She has now been appointed a NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer, splitting her time between 50% clinical work and 50% academic work. She completed a BA in English prior to her MD and subsequent MScs in Bioethics and Genomics.
