At the joint ICPerMed and EP PerMed Conference in Prague, we had the opportunity to discuss with Ron van Schaik the advancements and clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics and the use of DNA analysis to optimise drug therapy.
Short Version (1m08s)
Long Interview (3m42s)
Ron van Schaik is a European Specialist in Laboratory Medicine and a Full Professor of Pharmacogenetics (appointed in 2013) and Clinical Chemistry (appointed in 2023). He is the founder and former president of the European Society for Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Therapy, and he chairs the Dutch Network for Clinical Pharmacogenetics. In our video interview, Ron discusses the advancements and clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics at Erasmus University Medical Centre, emphasising the use of DNA analysis to optimise drug therapy. Initial research dating back to 1998 demonstrated that DNA testing could effectively guide drug therapy. Erasmus MC has successfully transitioned this concept from research to clinical practice and now performs around 25,000 DNA tests each year to ensure personalised and effective drug prescriptions. This service extends beyond the hospital, enabling patients in the Netherlands to present a ‘DNA passport’ to pharmacists nationwide and receive personalised medication dispensing based on their genetic profile.
Read more about the joint ICPerMed & EP PerMed Conference here, where you can also watch all the other interviews and access the slides and recordings.