Using pharmacogenetics in primary care.

Pharmacogenetics offers a way to personalize medication prescribing for patients. Through the use of genetic tests that identify variations in enzymes important to drug metabolism, PAs can have patients' genetic information before prescribing a medication. This may reduce the risks of adverse reactions and lost treatment time when patients are given drugs to which they are unlikely to respond. Laboratory testing can identify common genetic variants that alter how the body metabolizes drugs. PAs with knowledge of these variants can choose medications that are more personalized and effective for each patient. Clinical pharmacogenetic guidelines are under development and will help providers identify which drugs are most likely to be affected by genetic variations so they can prescribe for patients based on their specific genetic phenotypes.