A review on precision medicine and conducting pharmacogenetics tests of drugs

Precision medicine, the selection of treatment based on the genetic characteristics of patients, is one of the new paradigms of medical science. Using genetic characteristics and biomarkers, patients' response to different treatments is evaluated and finally, a specific one is selected for them. In other words, using genetic information or biomarkers, the safety, effectiveness and outcomes of treatments are evaluated and then decisions are made for the best method of prevention or efficient treatment. In recent decades, precision medicine has been focused and placed beyond laboratory knowledge in health services and policies. Besides, the tendency to apply this approach has increased due to the ineffectiveness and unsafety of all available medicines. The main issue of precision medicine is a targeted treatment approach based on pharmacogenetic tests. Performing such tests by checking for the presence or absence of specific biomarkers, when prescribing a drug or medication regimen, will help to increase the effectiveness of treatment and prevent adverse drug reactions during therapy. The present article reviews the types of medicines in Iran drug list (the official list of drugs in the country) that have biomarkers and require pharmacogenetic tests. In addition, this article points out the importance of applying these tests in cases other than determining the drug indication.