Pharmacogenetic

Question 1

pharmacogenetics can affect what 4 things related to drugs

Answer 1

Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion

Question 2

definition of pharmacogenetics

Answer 2

The study of how genetic differences between patients account for differences in their responses to a drug

Question 3

what 2 things can genetics do to affect drug response

Answer 3

change:

• How the body processes the drug: Pharmacokinetics
• How the drug affects the body: Pharmacodynamics

Question 4

benefits of pharmacogenetics

Answer 4

personalised medicine

Question 5

what is pharmacogenetics

Answer 5

Use of genomic information to study individual responses to drugs

Question 6

disadvantages of direct to consumer genetic testing

Answer 6

Predictive value is low if no family history
False positives are common
Reassuring results may not be reassuring
May raise anxiety
May not be able to get NHS referral
Not enough data to interpret
Is there a duty to revisit these? Whose?
What if we get it wrong

Question 7

Give some examples of gene-drug pairs that can lead to inter-individual differences in drug response

Answer 7

Hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir and HLAB5701 carriers

clopidogrel and CYP2C19- reduced ability to metabolise drug= increased risk of adverse cardiovascular event

warfarin and VKORC1 SNP- only just able to replenish reduced vitamin K- require less warfarin

Question 8

ethical issues surrounding genetic testing for pharmacogenetics

Answer 8

Who draws the line?
Where do we draw the line?
Can we always know the consequences?
How much “collateral damage” is OK?