Pharmacogenomics and Implications for Nursing Practice

Purpose: This article aims to introduce the nurse to pharmacogenomics and its implications for clinical practice with regard to drug therapy.

Organizing constructs: Pharmacogenomics is discussed with regard to the basic tenets, relationships to common health conditions, education and practice resources, and implications for nursing practice.

Methods: Peer-reviewed literature, websites, and expert professional guidelines were reviewed with relation to pharmacogenomics and nursing practice.

Findings: The genetic-genomic literature has grown significantly since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. This information is now being translated into practice with regard to the patient's genetic profile and the impact on drug therapy, which is pharmacogenomics.

Conclusions: The utilization of the patient genetic-genomic profile is beginning to have an impact on patient drug therapy in clinical practice.

Clinical relevance: Nurses are in the position to make sure, with the increased translation of pharmacogenomics into clinical practice, that adverse drug reactions are avoided and doses are optimized.