Abstract
Approximately 50 years ago, pharmacogenetics was described as a new field of medicine that may explain human drug action. Anaesthesia played a key role in the early investigations. An understanding of how a person's DNA influences drug metabolism and effectiveness may allow individually tailored prescriptions, improving outcomes and safety. The ultimate goal of pharmacogenetic research is to offer tailored personalised medicine to improve both the efficacy of medication and patient safety by helping to predict risk of adverse outcomes. In this review, we present a selection of historical landmarks where anaesthesia has been a catalyst for pharmacogenetic development. We examine the level of evidence and cite examples of candidate genes and common polymorphisms known to alter the response to peri-operative medication. Finally, we set forth current views and potential exciting perspectives that may arise from the application of pharmacogenetics to the daily practice of anaesthesia and pain medicine.
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