NHS Wales spent £1.2 billion on medicines in 2019-20. While their benefits are substantial, in terms of preventing, managing and curing diseases, improving patients’ quality of life and survival chances, not all medicines are effective all the time. Medicines can also cause side effects (adverse drug reactions) which can be severe and costly to manage. Information on genetic variants in an individual can be used to predict the likelihood that a particular medicine will be effective or cause unintended harm through an adverse reaction.Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genetic variation between individuals affects their response to medications. The use of pharmacogenomic testing in clinical practice informs the choice and dose of medicines. This ensures individuals receive the most effective treatment, while minimising the risk of adverse drug reactions.
a national pharmacogenomics service, aligned with the Welsh Government’s Genomics Delivery Plan for Wales. The aim of the NPGG is to ensure that there is a multidisciplinary, coordinated national approach with defined clinical input to the development and introduction of pharmacogenomic services within Wales. The membership and terms of reference for the NPGG are available here.
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