Gene-based drug therapy in children.

The past two decades have seen enormous advancements in medical knowledge around the role of genetic factors of variability, both in human disease and drug response. This knowledge is increasingly being translated into guidelines that inform drug dosing, monitoring for efficacy and safety, and determining the suitability of specific agents to treat patients. Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have recommended using genetic information to guide dosing for more than 20 drugs. There are no current, comprehensive paediatric guidelines to assist health care professionals in the use of genetics to inform medication dosing, safety, and efficacy in children, and such guidance is urgently needed. This statement helps to guide clinician understanding of the role of pharmacogenetics and how to use this information when prescribing medications in paediatrics.