Designer Drugs
As the list of known gene-drug interactions continues to grow, scanning a patient’s genome, or body of genetic material, for variations that affect drug response may soon become a prescribing prerequisite. This field is known as pharmacogenomics….
Since September 2010, more than 3,000 patients scheduled for cardiac catheterization at Vanderbilt have been “genotyped” or screened for variations that can affect their response to [the anti-platelet drug] clopidogrel. Variations were identified in nearly 700 patients, and an alternative drug was recommended to their physicians.
The PREDICT program is now being applied to the anticoagulant warfarin and to simvastatin, the generic form of the statin Zocor.
Full article on gene-based drug prescribing.
While it’s only one piece of the puzzle, it’s and important one. And depending on the situation, could be the critical factor in the caregiver’s decision. Interesting article.
Cool choice of title!
This type of customized medicine has many great applications. However, because of the where we pay for medical care (by task), quality-enhancing tasks will boost the cost of procedures. These tasks would have likely been included in the price of procedures performed in a competitive market. When hospitals do not compete on price, they do not compete on quality either.
Fascinating subject, though I think Devon brings up a very good point.