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Patients and healthcare professionals are most comfortable with pharmacogenomics (PGx) as a use of genomics in routine healthcare, a Genomics England survey has found.
Genomics England, a subsidiary of the Department of Health and Social Care, engaged with more than 300 people between October 2025 and June 2026. The survey respondents included members of the public, people from communities often underrepresented in genomics research and healthcare professionals.
In a press release published on 16 October 2026, Genomics England said that the survey findings, which were set out in the ‘Genomics, healthcare and you overarching engagement programme report’, published the same day, will help shape the design of its adult population genomics study that was pledged in the NHS ten-year health plan for England.
The report said: “The findings across all strands make clear that participants are most comfortable with PGx as a valuable application for genomics in healthcare with genuine benefits for HCPs [healthcare professionals] and patients alike. This suggests that PGx could be the primary focus for initial stages of the research study because benefits feel tangible and personal.”
“Among the potential uses discussed, pharmacogenomics attracted particularly strong support,” the press release noted.
“Many participants saw value in using genomic information to help identify which medicines are likely to work best for different people and reduce the risk of adverse reactions.”
The report also highlighted that participants from communities that are often underrepresented in genomics research shared experiences of ineffective medication and side effects, which “made the case for PGx concrete and compelling for participants”.
Among the general public, too, “many had direct experience of trial-and-error prescribing, adverse reactions or medicines that simply had not worked for them”.
“The prospect of getting the right medication first time resonated strongly”, it added.
The survey results revealed that 76% healthcare professionals surveyed saw personalised care as the top positive outcome from genomic healthcare, while 63% cited more accurate prescribing as the top positive outcome.
Respondents said that pharmacogenomics “could improve patient engagement, reduce wasted prescriptions, and build trust in the therapeutic relationship”, the report highlighted, adding that “community pharmacists were particularly enthusiastic about this development for these reasons”.
However, many healthcare professionals “stressed that wider adoption would require healthcare services, infrastructure and workforce skills to be ready to support implementation”, the press release added.
The report said that respondents were supportive of genomics in general — particularly around its potential for prevention, early intervention and personalised healthcare — but wanted reassurance that its use would be evidence-based and equitable, with “robust safeguards” around data access and governance.
They also raised concerns that genomics could reinforce a “’drug-first culture’”, in which “once a genetic basis for a condition was identified, medication could be prescribed automatically at the expense of lifestyle advice or social prescribing”, the report noted.
Emily Kennedy, head of professional standards, guidance and patient safety at the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), commented: “It’s encouraging to see strong public support for PGx and its potential to make prescribing safer and more personalised.
“Pharmacy professionals have an important role to play as this develops, but wider use must be supported by workforce skills, appropriate testing pathways, digital infrastructure and clear governance. Patients should also be given clear information about the benefits and limitations of testing.
“PGx should complement, not replace, professional clinical judgement, with equity and patient safety at its heart.”
RCPharm’s competency framework for PGx supports clinicians in implementing this in their clinical decision-making.
James Frith, health innovation minister, said: “Genomic healthcare has huge potential to help us prevent illness, detect disease earlier and give patients more personalised care, but people must have confidence in how their information is used.
“That is why we are working to ensure the development of genomics is built on trust, transparency and strong safeguards, while making sure the benefits are shared fairly across communities and the NHS is ready to deliver them.”
NHS England PROGRESS pilot data, published in October 2026, revealed that one in ten patients (9.8%) had a genetic variation that warranted a “red flag” warning to switch treatment of a prescribed medicine, while one in four patients overall had a medicine change as a result of the testing.
