Pharmacogenomic Screening: A Step Toward More Precise and Personalized Medicine

By: dr. Nusmirna Ulfa, Sp.FK - Clinical Pharmacology Specialist

Each person can respond differently to the same medication. Some patients achieve excellent therapeutic results, others experience suboptimal effects, and still others experience severe side effects even when using standard doses. One of the main causes of these differences is genetics. Advances in modern medicine offer a more personalized approach through pharmacogenomic testing, which is testing to identify a patient's genetic predisposition, which may affect the way a drug works in the body.

Pharmacogenomics is a branch of science that studies the relationship between a person's genetic makeup and the body's response to drugs.

Benefits of Pharmacogenomic Testing

Through pharmacogenomic testing, doctors can determine:

• How the body metabolizes the drug.
• Whether the patient is at risk of certain side effects.
• Whether a drug is likely to be less effective.
• Need for dosage adjustments.

This examination helps make therapy more precise, safe, and individualized (personalized medicine), and helps select the right medication based on individual responses and prevent potential adverse reactions.

Why Does Each Person's Response to Drugs Differ?

In the body, drugs are processed by various enzymes, some of which are influenced by genetics.

Certain gene variations can cause:

• The drug is metabolized too quickly.
• The drug is metabolized too slowly.
• The drug is not working optimally.

As a result, drug levels can be too low, causing therapy failure, or too high, increasing the risk of toxicity and side effects.

Therapeutic Areas Using Pharmacogenomics

Testing Procedures and Requirements

Pharmacogenomic testing is generally performed using an oral swab and is usually performed once because the genetic profile remains unchanged.

Not everyone needs it, but it may be considered for:

• Patients who frequently experience side effects from medications.
• Concurrent use of multiple medications.
• History of treatment failure.
• Use of high-risk medications.
• Long-term therapy.
• Patients with unpredictable drug responses.

The Role of Clinical Pharmacology Specialists

Pharmacogenomic results must still be interpreted by a physician. The role of Clinical Pharmacology Specialists includes:

• Mengevaluasi penggunaan obat pasien.
• Menilai potensi interaksi obat.
• Menginterpretasikan hasil farmakogenomik.
• Membantu memilih terapi yang paling aman dan efektif sesuai kondisi pasien.

Pendekatan ini merupakan bagian penting dalam konsep precision medicine atau pengobatan presisi.
 

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