What is pharmacogenetic testing?
Pharmacogenetics, also called pharmacogenomics, is the study of how genes affect the body's response to certain medicines. Genes are parts of DNA passed down from your mother and father. They carry information that determines your unique traits, such as height and eye color. Your genes can also affect how safe and effective a particular drug could be for you.
Genes can be the reason the same medicine at the same dose will affect people in very different ways. Genes may also be the reason some people have bad side effects to a medicine, while others have none.
Pharmacogenetic testing looks at specific genes to help figure out the types of medicines and dosages that may be right for you.
Other names: pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenomic testing
