Pharmacogenetics and Practice: Tailoring Prescribing for Safety and Effectiveness

Abstract

The promise of pharmacogenomics testing, to find the right medication at the right dose for the right patient at the right time, sits at the heart of precision medicine. Identifying genetic variants that contribute to inter-patient variability in drug disposition and effect allows clinicians to select a more appropriate medication for a patient’s condition by limiting adverse drug events and maximizing beneficial effects. However, as pharmacogenomics is increasingly integrated into prevention-based healthcare, a major obstacle to effective implementation of pharmacogenomics testing is the lack of adequate knowledge of healthcare providers on interpretation of these test results.