Personalized Medicine and Adverse Drug Reactions: The Experience of An Italian Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The personalized medicine is a model of medicine based on inherent difference given by the genetic heritage that characterizes us, diversity that can affect also our response to administered therapy. Nowadays, the term "adverse drug reaction" is identified with any harmful effect involuntary resulting from the use of a medicinal product; pharmacogenomics, in this field, has the aim to improve the drug response and to reduce the adverse reaction.

METHODS: We analyzed all reports of adverse reaction collected in the Pharmacovigilance Centre database of an Italian University Hospital, at the Sant'Andrea Hospital Sapienza University of Rome, in a period of two years.

RESULTS: Comparing the data result from our analysis with several studies found in literature, it is evident that adverse drug reactions represent an important problem in the management of a health care system. However, the development of pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics, allowing a personalized treatment, can improve clinical practice.

CONCLUSION: This study highlights the great potential of pharmacogenomics in reducing adverse reactions and suggests the need for further pharmacogenomic clinical trials to better personalize drug treatment and to refine the current pharmacovigilance strategies.