Pharmacogenomics de-identification is the removal of personal details from a gene-and-drug report. Genetic results are special-category data under UK GDPR Art. 9. anonym.plus does this locally and keeps the variant and dosing guidance.
When this applies
A gene-and-drug report names the patient and the ordering doctor. It pairs variant calls with dosing advice. For research, you clear the IDs only.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the file in anonym.plus on a local device.
- It finds patient and clinician names plus IDs.
- Dates and contacts get flagged across the entry.
- Confirm the flags; variant calls stay as clinical content.
- Swap the IDs with the re-link map off for anonymity.
- Save the clean copy; the source stays on your machine.
What you need to provide
- The file (PDF, DOCX, or lab export).
- Replace with the map off for full anonymity.
- Optional language setting.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | patient name → [PATIENT] |
| Names | PERSON | ordering doctor → [CLINICIAN] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | reported 11 Apr → [DATE] |
| Identifiers | NHS_NUMBER | NHS no. → [NHS_NUMBER] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | lab@example.com → [EMAIL] |
| Location | LOCATION | Edinburgh lab → [LAB] |
Compliance achieved
- Strips UK GDPR Art. 9 health and genetic identifiers from the file.
- Keeps variant calls and dosing guidance, which are clinical content.
- On-device work keeps data on UK soil; nothing is uploaded.
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Limitations & cautions
Raw genetic results can identify a person even with names removed. The tool removes the named IDs around the result. It cannot make a full genome anonymous. For shared genetic sets, seek expert advice on residual risk under the ICO guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Can a genetic result ever be truly anonymous?
A full sequence is hard to anonymise, since it is unique to one person. The tool clears the named IDs; for raw genomic results you should weigh expert advice on residual risk.
Are the variant calls removed?
No. The variant and dosing guidance are the clinical result, so they stay. Only the named IDs around them are taken out.
Why is this so sensitive under UK GDPR?
Genetic and health details fall under Art. 9 as special-category data, so they need a lawful basis. Removing the named IDs lowers the personal footprint for secondary uses.