RPS Pharma Scene #14 - Pharmacogenomics (PGx)

This episode, Ciara speaks to RPS Pharmacogenomics Lead Sophie Harding about the huge effect PGx is going to have on healthcare - and how pharmacists will be at the heart of that change!

About Sophie

Sophie has practiced as a cancer pharmacist for 14 years, and as a pharmacist independent prescriber within cancer services since she qualified in 2010. Her cancer prescribing role involves reviewing and prescribing cancer treatments for patients throughout their cancer journey - as well as assessing patients, along with various test results which can include the result of a pharmacogenomic test.

She developed a passion for genomics in early 2020, when co-leading a pilot project to safely implement a pharmacogenomic DPYD test, alongside medical colleagues in collaboration with the All Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS). DPYD is a pharmacogenomic test which helps to determine how a patient will respond to a certain cancer drug and tells us whether the dose prescribed needs to be personalised for that particular patient, or whether the drug needs to be avoided completely in order to reduce the risk of the patient experiencing serious side effects from their cancer treatment.

Since then, her expertise in genomics has led her to a role as RPS Lead for Pharmacogenomics, raising awareness of the key role that pharmacists already play in genomics, and the future role pharmacists can play within pharmacogenomics across all areas of healthcare.