Drug and environmental exposure histories in selective patient populations

Drug histories and environmental exposures are an important part of all medical histories and are particularly significant in specific at-risk primary care patient populations such as obstetrical patients, primary care genetic referrals, and pediatric patients being evaluated in developmental centers. A review of genetic referrals made by primary care physicians to a satellite genetics clinic over a one-year period showed that 29 percent of all referrals had a significant history of single drug exposure, single environmental exposure, or multiple environmental and drug exposures. Drug and environmental exposures must be an important consideration in all at-risk groups.