Pharmacogenomics and reducing the frequency of adverse drug events.

Drug toxicity and adverse drug events Pharmacogenomics, as applied to medical practice, offers the promise of reduction in adverse drug events (ADEs), enhanced drug efficacy and selection of patients able to respond to specific agents. This editorial will focus on the history and evolving role of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics as it moves from the basic research laboratory into clinical practice to reduce the occurrence of ADEs. In 1994, 2,216,000 patients either reported to the hospital or were in the hospital as a result of ADEs. Of these, 106,000 patients experienced fatal ADEs [1]. In 2000, 2,168,248 toxic events due to all forms of poisons and drugs were reported in the US. Toxin-related events in 2000 affected 8% of the US population. Of these events [2]: