Effects of pharmacists’ involvement in pharmacogenomics implementation on patient outcomes: a scoping review
Background Pharmacogenomics holds promise for personalised medicine, but its implementation requires effective integration into clinical workflows. Pharmacists, with their medication expertise, are positioned to play a key role in implementing these services. However, a comprehensive synthesis of evidence regarding pharmacists’ roles in pharmacogenomic implementation has been lacking.Methods A scoping review was conducted following a pre-registered protocol and PRISMA-ScR guidance. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from January 2015 to September 2026, supplemented by grey literature and reference screening. Studies examining pharmacist involvement in clinical PGx implementation were eligible. Data were extracted, critically appraised using design-specific tools, and synthesised thematically.Results From an initial yield of 870 records identified through database and grey literature searching, studies were screened, and eligible evidence was synthesised in this scoping review. Included literature comprised cross-sectional (n = 2), quasi-experimental (n = 1), case series (n = 5), qualitative (n = 1), mixed-methods (n = 1), descriptive implementation (n = 3), and an AI-based clinical decision-support evaluation (n = 1). Overall methodological quality was moderate to low, reflecting predominantly observational and implementation-oriented designs. Thematic synthesis identified key domains: pharmacist roles in PGx workflow integration, result interpretation, clinical decision support use, interprofessional collaboration, patient education, medication optimization, implementation leadership, and system-level barriers.Conclusion Pharmacists are central to successful PGx implementation across diverse healthcare settings. Although evidence supports improvements in implementation processes and prescribing decisions, robust evidence demonstrating long-term clinical and economic benefits remains limited. Future research should prioritise rigorous outcome-focused evaluations to support sustainable integration of pharmacist-led PGx services.
Authors
- Nadia Al Mazrouei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1339-9730)
- Mohd Shara (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5168-2206)
- Ahmed Alhusban (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1105-0620)
- Khalid Awad Al-Kubaisi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4260-1117)
- Richard Mottershead (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0048-0553)
- Karem Hasan Alzoubi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2808-5099)
- Margaret Stevenson
- Manal Mohammed Al Sharawy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8421-4214)
Institutions
- University of Baghdad (IQ)
- Jordan University of Science and Technology (JO)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- United Arab Emirates University (AE)
- University of Sharjah (AE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
- Published
- 2026-11-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2026.2746884
- Primary Topic
- Pharmacogenetics and Drug Metabolism
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00