Pharmacogenomics (also known as Pharmacogenetics) is often referred to as “precision medicine” because it evaluates how an individual’s genes will affect their response to different medications. Variations in a person’s genes, whether common or rare, impact the effectiveness of different medications within their bodies. In turn, that impacts a medication’s effectiveness, which differs from person to person.
As a result, organizations such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) all support Pharmacogenomic research and encourage its application. Currently over 200 medications now include pharmacogenomic information on their labels, allowing clinicians to adapt their prescriptions to enhance their effectiveness.
This means that genetically-driven guidance on dosages and possible side effects can now supplement factors such as a person's age, weight and lifestyle to facilitate individually tailored treatment plans and improve well-being.