Short Course: Pharmacogenomics Informed Prescribing
About
This course will examine the application of drug-gene testing to commonly prescribed medications. The potential of pharmacogenomic-led prescribing to enhance patient outcomes, reduce the incidence of adverse drug reactions and to provide economic savings to health services will be discussed. Practical, worked examples of changes in drug prescribing will be undertaken based on international best practice.
A large community pharmacy database study of 56 commonly used drugs in the UK with a known drug-gene interaction reports that approximately 5.8M new prescriptions have an actionable drug-gene relationship. Furthermore, an estimated 10% of these prescriptions would require an immediate reduction in dose or change of medication if pharmacogenomic testing was employed.
More information on pharmacogenomic testing
The NHS and health services globally are investing in genomics. This will dramatically change the way in which treatments are administered. This course will train prescribers and pharmacists on how to interpret pharmacogenomic data and the patient-centred and health economic benefits of this approach.
The course is relevant to all those with current prescribing responsibilities (primary and secondary care doctors, prescribing pharmacists, nurse prescribers).
Start date
Tuesday 10 March 2026
Attendance
This course requires on-campus attendance, at our Derry~Londonderry campus, during Semester 2.
- Tuesday 10 March 2026, 10:00am – 4:00pm
- Wednesday 11 March 2026, 10.00am – 4:00pm
*Please note, dates and timetabling may be subject to change.
Location
Derry~Londonderry Campus.
Teaching, learning and assessment
The course assessment is based 100% on coursework and participants will be guided through assignments by the teaching staff. Assessments will be based on the practical application of international guidance on actionable drug-gene interactions. Assignments will be an opportunity to actively learn how to interpret and act upon pharmacogenomic data.
Academic profile
Dr Catriona Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in Personalised Medicine with expertise in cellular biology, the study of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Dr Sarah Atkinson is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences and experienced molecular biologist with extensive expertise in genomics. Collectively, the teaching staff have been awarded numerous international research awards and have received significant research support from a range of national and international organisations.
Further Information
Modules
Upon completion of this course, participants will have developed knowledge on the application of pharmacogenomic-based approaches to the prescription of commonly administered drugs.
Participants will learn to critically appraise information from a variety of resources and prepare evidence-based reports.
Entry requirements
Academic qualifications
At least an undergraduate degree in a science or medicine-related subject.
Eligibility
Places are limited and open to applicants who:
- are 18 or over at the point of enrolment;
- have a right to work and undertake training in the UK at the point of application and for the duration of the course and must not be disqualified from doing either by reason of their immigration status. Proof of this will be required to progress your application. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK
- meet the course specific entry requirements. See course pages for requirements.
- meet the Ulster University general entry requirements including competency in English (as evidenced by GCSE Grade C in English or alternative). For English competency, a degree taught in UK or Ireland covers this requirement. If your degree is from outside the UK or Ireland, please see our list of acceptable qualifications or tests.
- are available to register in person at the campus as required.
Apply now - limited places available
There are a limited number of places for this course. Offers will be extended to those applicants who meet the entry requirements following successful completion of the application process, and have provided evidence of such, on a first come, first served basis. Applications will no longer be accepted or processed once all offers are extended. Applications will no longer be accepted or processed once all places are filled. Applications cannot be considered once a course has started.
Please note you can only be funded by DfE for a maximum of two courses at any one time across all institutions who offer courses as part of SkillUp. You will only be permitted to study one course at Ulster in each academic year or a maximum of two microcredentials up to 45 credits per semester.
When creating your application you will need to have the following documents saved electronically as they need to be uploaded as part of the application process:
- Passport
- Evidence of having right to work and undertake training in the UK*
- Degree Certificate
- English Competency (If you have a degree from UK/ROI, you don't need to provide anything else)
* Holders of UK or Irish passports automatically have this right. if you hold a passport from another nation, please provide evidence of UK immigration permissions to include a ShareCode and/or BRP.
To select the correct course, in the field called Please select the subject area, select Life & Health Sciences from the drop down box. Then select Pharmacogenomics Informed Prescribing from the next drop down box.
