The anticonvulsant carbamazepine has a high incidence of cutaneous adverse drug reactions. A recent prospective clinical trial in Taiwan has indicated that HLA-B*1502 screening will reduce the incidence of life-threatening adverse reactions to carbamazepine, while a genome-wide association study has identified the HLA-A*3101 allele as a genetic risk factor for the full spectrum of carbamazepine-induced cutaneous adverse drug reactions in a European population. These studies should aid future decision-making for personalized use of carbamazepine treatment.