Essay on Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics is going to change the way medicine is practiced through replacing the general methods of treatment with a personalized approach which takes into account both the patients genetics and clinical factors (Meyer and Maurer, 2011). Medical practitioners can use pharmacogenomics together with the existing clinical practice to predict the drugs that are more likely to work and the drugs that should be avoided because of their negative side effects. In the near future, it is expected that it will be totally possible to personalize treatment to fit an individual patients requirements based on their genotype. The development of the target-oriented drugs will increase the therapeutic efficiency and reduce any damage to the neighboring healthy cells. Medical practitioners are can prescribe specific drugs based on the genetic profile of patients which reduces the likelihood of having negative effects on the patient. This will also reduce the chances of overdose because the dosage will be based on a patients genetic profile than the traditional approach of age and weight. Medicine will definitely be better if doctors will be able to predict a patients reaction to medication and give a probability of it been good or bad.

Pharmacogenomics emphasizes a move away from single genes affecting metabolism to a large-scale analysis of genetic variation as relates to drug response. In this case, SNPs across the genome are organized into individual fingerprints as opposed to examining the polymorphisms close to candidate genes. Polymorphisms, when ordered closely ordered and in multiples, will tell apart particular parts of the genome. The aim is to quickly identify a genetic profile that distinguishes patients who are more likely to suffer side effects from those who are likely to respond positively to drugs (Relling and Klein, 2011). Technology has greatly helped this process and currently, diagnostic methods are available in small genetic laboratories. There are also a number of large-scale techniques for detection of SNPs on the large scale that is been developed by institutions dealing with molecular biological research and development. All these advancements will guide the swift development of new diagnostic approaches and therapeutic methods which will improve patient care. Even though the main aim of pharmacogenetics is to improve patient care, medical practitioners can also get knowledge about disease genes. The division of the population into those who respond positively and negatively to a particular drug can be a crucial starting point for the association of genetic variations with specific phenotypes. Pharmacogenomics if properly appropriately undertaken in an ethical way and with a healthy aim can lead to a brighter future in genetic testing which will be in the best interests of patients.

References

Becquemont, L., Alfirevic, A., Amstutz, U., Brauch, H., Jacqz-Aigrain, E., Laurent-Puig, P., Molina, M.A., Niemi, M., Schwab, M., Somogyi, A.A. and Thervet, E., 2011. Practical recommendations for pharmacogenomics-based prescription: 2010 ESFUB Conference on Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics. Pharmacogenomics, 12(1), pp.113-124.

Ma, Q. and Lu, A.Y., 2011. Pharmacogenetics, pharmacogenomics, and individualized medicine. Pharmacological reviews, 63(2), pp.437-459....