What field of study focuses on how genes influence drug response?

The term that specifically refers to the study of how genes influence drug response is pharmacogenomics. This field combines pharmacology and genomics to understand the role of genetic variation in individual responses to medications. By studying pharmacogenomics, researchers and clinicians can identify how genetic factors contribute to the efficacy and safety of drugs, allowing for more personalized medicine approaches. This means that treatments can be tailored based on an individual's genetic makeup, potentially improving therapeutic outcomes and minimizing adverse effects.

Pharmacodynamics deals with the effects of drugs on the body and how drugs exert their effects at the site of action, but it does not focus on genetic influences. Pharmacokinetics involves the study of how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes, and excretes drugs; while it is crucial for understanding drug behavior in the body, it does not address genetic variations in drug response. Pharmacology is a broader field that encompasses the study of drugs in general, including their mechanisms of action, side effects, and therapeutic uses, but again, it does not focus specifically on the genetic aspects of drug response as pharmacogenomics does.