• Science Saturday: Moving pharmacogenomics into everyday clinical practice

medicine capsules with DNA strand inside representing pharmacogenetics or pharmacogenomicsAfter nearly half a century of research, Mayo Clinic is a leader in moving pharmacogenomics into clinical practice. This year pharmacogenomics test results for 10,000 Mayo Clinic patients, all participants in the RIGHT 10K study, are being added to the electronic health record.

“I’ve spent my career exploring pharmacogenomics - how a person’s genetics affect his or her response to medications. Mayo has been a pioneer in this area of precision medicine. The RIGHT 10K study translates decades of research on drug-gene interactions into pre-emptive patient care. My hope is that within the next five years, genomic test results for the majority of our patients will be part of their electronic health record, allowing physicians to proactively use this information to individualize care,” says Richard Weinshilboum, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Pharmacogenomics Program.

The RIGHT 10K study and the information in the electronic health record have the potential to inform the practice by guiding health care providers in their prescribing. The goal is to understand how genetic testing may help improve health care by identifying medications and/or making dose adjustments that are compatible with a patient’s genetic makeup.

“Medications today can be very effective, but they can also cause harmful, sometimes life-threatening side effects. That’s where pharmacogenomics can help physicians select the right drug and dose for every patient.” - Richard Weinshilboum, M.D.

“Medications today can be very effective, but they can also cause harmful, sometimes life-threatening side effects. That’s where pharmacogenomics can help physicians select the right drug and dose for every patient,” says Dr. Weinshilboum. Read the rest of the article.

This article by Sharon Rosen appeared on the Center for Individualized Medicine blog 3/20/18.
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