What is pharmacogenomics?

Pharmacogenomics is the field of study that examines how an individual's genetic makeup influences their response to medications. This area of research combines pharmacology, which involves the effects and uses of drugs, and genomics, which is the study of the genome (the complete set of DNA in an organism).

Understanding pharmacogenomics is essential for personalized medicine because genetic variations can significantly affect how a patient metabolizes and responds to drugs. For example, some individuals may have genetic variations that cause certain medications to be metabolized too quickly, rendering them ineffective, while others may metabolize the same medications too slowly, leading to increased toxicity. By analyzing a patient's genetic profile, healthcare providers can tailor drug therapies to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes and minimize adverse effects.

The other options address different aspects of pharmacology that are not directly related to the influence of genetics on drug response. For instance, studying drug interactions focuses on how different substances affect each other's efficacy and safety, while investigating medication manufacturing pertains to the processes involved in creating pharmaceuticals. The development of new pharmaceutical compounds is concerned with the innovation and design of new drugs, rather than how existing drugs interact with an individual's genetic composition.