Final answer:
Drug interactions occur when two or more drugs are taken together and may affect their efficacy, side effects, or toxicity. Understanding these interactions is important in personalized medicine to ensure optimal dosing and minimize adverse effects. Factors such as genetics, age, weight, and co-morbid diseases can influence drug interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In medicine, drug interactions refer to the effects that occur when two or more drugs are taken together that may alter the way they work in the body. This can result in changes in drug efficacy, side effects, or toxicity. For example, the combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) is a well-known synergistic interaction used to treat certain infections. Individually, these drugs provide bacteriostatic inhibition of bacterial growth, but when combined, they become bactericidal.
Understanding drug interactions is crucial in personalized medicine as it helps in individualizing drug dosing to ensure optimal therapeutic concentrations and minimize adverse effects. Interactions can occur due to factors such as genetic polymorphisms, age, weight, and the presence of other drugs or co-morbid diseases. Therefore, it is important for healthcare professionals to consider potential drug-drug interactions when prescribing medications.
References:
1. B.D. Dickinson et al. "Drug Interactions between Oral Contraceptives and Antibiotics." Obstetrics & Gynecology 98, no. 5 (2001):853-860.
2. EMA (2012) Guideline on Investigation of Drug Interactions. European Agency for the Evaluation of Medical Products.