Emerging areas of research and development (pharmacogenomics, AI)

Pharmacogenomic testing has the potential to improve medicines optimisation by providing information on the individual’s response to treatment, taking a person-centred approach. This will result in less medication-related harm and improved outcomes. Some studies have shown that this approach is more economically viable.

There is an increasing interest in the role of AI to identify individuals at most risk of harm from multiple medicines and use of AI in the decision-making on the actions to take from a medication review. Summaries of the literature reviews can be found in Pharmacogenomics and polypharmacy and AI and polypharmacy.

However, more evidence is needed together with a tested framework for implementation. A recent overview⁹⁶ of the current status and future perspectives of pharmacogenomics discusses current practice, the potential to use genomic technologies to maximise efficacy and minimise toxicity of medications. A number of research priorities are highlighted and include the evaluation of the role of pharmacogenomics in older adults living with multiple long-term conditions for both medicine optimisation and deprescribing. Scottish Government are building on the iSIMPATHY project with the Innovation in person-centred Medication Prescribing and Review for Optimal Value and Efficacy (iMPROVE) project, which started in March 2025, to determine the value of pharmacogenomic in medication reviews using the 7-Steps process.