Medicines are prescribed on the basis of diagnosis and the same medicine is prescribed for all the patients diagnosed of a certain disease. However, the right medicine for the right patient maxim expects the medicines being prescribed keeping the patient in the centre. At the forefront of personalised medicine is the genetic component which exists for many diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cystic fibrosis etc.Genetic information of the patient is collected to profile patients and then the suitable drugs are administered. Certain drugs are metabolized in a peculiar manner in certain individuals, e.g. codiene being metabolized to morphine in a lactating mother results into the death of the of an infant. This calls for customised medicine.

Though the human genome is the same, there is a slightly different version of the same gene in individuals. We are genetically similar but not the same as there are genetic variations.One such variation is to have Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP). Some of these SNPs have relevance for the action of the medicine.

Pharmacogenetics is either molecule based or disease based. All medicines do not work in all people because the molecular cause of the disease is not the same. Pharmacogenomics research is based on genotype to phenotype principle. In short, it tries to co-relate genetic information to clinical information. Genetic testing has now become easier. There are laboratories which make this service available to the physicians and patients.The goal is to provide safer and more efficient medicines.The regulatory framework for this research continues to grow.It requires support and investment.Companies fear the loss of blockbusters if this field is encouraged. In course of time, all these objections will fade away.