The NHS North West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (NW-GMSA) is pleased to announce the launch of Phase II of the PROGRESS (Pharmacogenetics Roll Out – Gauging Response to Service) research study, marking the national rollout across England of ProgressRX.
The PROGRESS project seeks to establish the feasibility of providing an NHS-wide diagnostic service to identify genetic changes associated with commonly prescribed drugs. Pharmacogenomics examines how an individual's genetic makeup influences their response to medications.
Phase II is broadening the study’s reach, with recruitment now extending across England and the introduction of ProgressRx, a cutting-edge digital tool designed to integrate pharmacogenomic results directly into prescribing systems.
Introducing ProgressRx
ProgressRx is an "end-to-end diagnostic interpretation tool" that seamlessly translates genomic test results into practical prescribing advice. It integrates into existing NHS clinical decision support (CDS) systems, reducing the cognitive burden on prescribers while providing real-time, patient-specific guidance.
CDS provides timely information, usually at the point of care, to help inform decisions about a patient's care. CDS tools and systems help clinical teams by taking over some routine tasks, warning of potential problems, or providing suggestions for the clinical team and patient to consider.
Tailoring drug therapies based on genetic profiles, healthcare providers can minimise adverse drug reactions and optimise therapeutic outcomes; by integrating pharmacogenomic testing into routine NHS care, medication safety and effectiveness for patients across England will be enhanced.
Key enabler stakeholders
Phase II of the PROGRESS project has been made possible through collaboration with enabler stakeholders specialising in clinical decision support systems:
Clinical Architecture (CA) is a leader in healthcare terminology management and interoperability solutions. It provides advanced tools that enhance data quality and support clinical decision-making by ensuring that healthcare information is clear, accurate, and accessible. Learn more
FDB (First Databank) delivers comprehensive drug databases and clinical decision support solutions that integrate into healthcare systems, helping doctors and pharmacists make safe and effective medication decisions. Their OptimiseRx system enables real-time, patient-specific clinical decision support within the Primary Care Patient Record, for example EMIS or SystmOne. Learn more
Collaboration in action
The Phoenix Partnership’s (TPP) SystmOne facilitates sharing of electronic patient records across various healthcare settings, ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to the same up-to-date information wherever the patient seeks treatment. TPP have contributed to the project and informed its development.
Ongoing collaboration ensures that pharmacogenomic data is effectively incorporated into clinical workflows, providing actionable insights to healthcare professionals at the point of care.
By leveraging existing innovations within clinical decision support, the PROGRESS project is set to personalise medication regimens, minimise adverse drug reactions, and improve patient outcomes across the NHS.
Advancing precision medicine
The national rollout of Phase II signifies a significant step towards embedding genomics into routine NHS healthcare, advancing precision medicine, and improving medication safety and efficacy.
The Pharmacogenomics and Medicines Optimisation Network of Excellence looks forward to sharing outcomes from the research study; to highlight the transformative impact this initiative could have on patient care across England. Learn more
The NHS North West Genomic Medicine Service Alliance (NW GMSA) is dedicated to integrating genomic medicine into routine healthcare, ensuring equitable access to genomic services, and improving patient outcomes through personalised medicine.
As the lead Alliance for the National Pharmacogenomics and Medicines Optimisation Network of Excellence, the NW GMSA coordinates expertise, data, and best practices to ensure accessibility of genomic innovations across all regions, reducing health disparities and fostering a unified framework for integrating genomics into standard NHS care.
The Network’s involvement helps to ensure that knowledge and innovations in genomics are accessible across all regions, reducing health disparities and building a unified approach to integrating genomics into standard NHS care.