Estimating the prevalence of potential and actionable drug-gene
interactions in Irish primary care: a cross-sectional study
Abstract
Aims: Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is increasingly recognised as a strategy
for medicines optimisation and prevention of adverse drug reactions.
According to guidelines produced by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics
Implementation Consortium (CPIC) and the Dutch Pharmacogenetic Working
Group (DPWG), most medicines with drug-gene interactions (DGIs) are
prescribed in primary care. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence
of potential and actionable DGIs involving all medicines dispensed in
Irish primary care. Methods: Dispensings of 46 drugs to General Medical
Services (GMS) patients in the Health Service Executive Primary Care
Reimbursement Service (HSE-PCRS) Irish pharmacy claims database from
01/01/21-31/12/21 were analysed to estimate the national prevalence of
total dispensings and incidence of first time dispensings of drugs with
potential DGIs according to the CPIC and/or DPWG guidelines. Phenotype
frequency data from the UK Biobank and the CPIC were used to estimate
the incidence of actionable DGIs. Results: One in five dispensings
[12,443,637 of 62,754,498; (19.8%)] were medicines with potential
DGIs; 1,878,255 of these dispensed for the first time. On application of
phenotype frequencies and linked guideline based therapeutic
recommendations, 2,349,055 potential DGIs i.e. (18.9%) required action,
such as monitoring, guarding against maximum dose, drug or dose change.
One in five [369,700 (19.7%)] first time dispensings required
action, with 139,169 (7.4%) requiring a change in prescribing.
Antidepressants, weak opioids and statins were most commonly identified
as having actionable DGIs. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of
DGIs in primary care in the Irish setting, identifying the need and
opportunity to optimise drug therapy through PGx testing.