The study of inherited genetic differences in drug metabolic pathways, which can affect individual responses to drugs, both in terms of therapeutic effect, as well as in adverse effects. The term pharmacogenetics is often used interchangeably with the term pharmacogenomics, which also investigates the role of acquired and inherited genetic differences in relation to drug response and drug behavior. Pharmacogenetics comprises the systematic examination of genes, gene products, and inter- and intra-individual variation in gene expression and function.
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