Genetic Screening Before Prescribing Could Benefit Millions, Says Study by Colleen Fleiss on January 31, 2021 at 3:37 AM In the UK, four million patients could benefit annually from genetic testing before being prescribed common medicines, stated new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in collaboration with Boots UK and Leiden University (Netherlands). Researchers looked through 2019 NHS dispensing data across the UK to see how many patients are started on new prescriptions each year that could be potentially optimised by genetic testing. They studied 56 medicines, including antidepressants, antibiotics, stomach ulcer treatments and painkillers where there are known drug-gene interactions. ‘Nine of the genetic markers, affecting 56 medicines that are commonly dispensed by community pharmacies in the UK. The most common of these are weak opioids, antidepressants and proton-pump inhibitors, which are prescribed to reduce stomach acid.’