Despite the promise of pharmacogenomics – selecting drugs based on a patient's genetic makeup – significant obstacles to its wide implementation remain. According to an article in Scientific American, "fewer than 10 hospitals around the country. . . are offering pharmacogenomic tests," citing two primary impediments to wider use: inadequate insurance reimbursement and the fact that "doctors are not accustomed to making medication choices using genetics." This matters because each year, "half of all medical patients get a drug that could interact with their genes and cause serious side effects." To build understanding and acceptance of the practice, a research group led by Mary Relling, PharmD, of St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, has received funding from the National Institutes of Health to document any new drug-gene relations solidified with new research. Pharmacogenomics is the topic of this year's University of Minnesota Precision Medicine Conference on June 20, featuring nationally-known experts in the field; learn more and register here.