Abstract

Pharmacogenomics (also called pharmacogenetics) is a field of research that studies how a person’s genetic factors influence drug response by combining the science on how drugs work (pharmacology), with the science of the human genome (genomics). The main goal of pharmacogenomics as part of the field of precision medicine is to help to provide guidance for drug treatment based  on an individual´s genetic variation. The knowledge on how to use pharmacogenomic information for a more precise prescribing of drugs and the evidence regarding the benefits of pharmacogenomics testing is rapidly increasing with the help of several international consortia and detailed drug dosing guidelines. This article gives an overview about the basis and progress in the field of pharmacogenomics and about the opportunities for its clinical implementation.