Abstract

Pharmacogenetics is a rapidly advancing field of genetic medicine that offers promise for  improved  patient  outcomes.  Prescription  drugs  dominate  the  medical  system,  which  makes  it  imperative  to  utilize  technology  which  identifies  gene-drug  compatibility. Clinicians in a private clinical setting must understand the definitions and science behind pharmacogenetics (PGx). There are at least five good reasons for clinicians to implement PGx into their practice. There is emerging research demonstrating that PGx can decrease hospital admissions as well as adverse drug events in large specialties such as cardiology, oncology, and psychiatry. In some situations PGx has been demonstrated to be cost-effective. Drugs that have compelling gene-drug research included in this review include warfarin, clopidogrel,  cholesterol-lowering  statins,  abacavir,  antidepressants,  and  irinotecan.  There  are  also  limitations  to  evidence-based  gene-drug  interactions  that  clinicians  should  be  familiar with. Lastly, there are several considerations that clinicians should be aware of in regards to legal and ethical concerns.

Keywords

pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics, drug-gene, clinical genetics, drug response, PGx, adverse drug event