Obstetric therapeutics-how pharmacogenetics may inform drug therapy for pregnant women in the future.

Most pregnant women take prescription medications. There are many factors related to pregnancy that make finding the most effective and safe dose of a therapeutic drug difficult for providers. Genetic differences in drug-metabolizing enzymes, transporters, and receptors may also account for some of the differences in drug response. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as the cytochrome P450 families, have been studied in relation to drugs used in pregnancy. Combining clinical characteristics, physiologic parameters in pregnancy, and possibly pharmacogenetic models may allow for providers to individualize pharmacotherapy in pregnancy and get to the most effective and safe dose of medication more quickly than in the current practice model. This article discusses these issues along with helpful Web sites and references for providers.