The Power of Pharmacogenomics: Empowering Patients Through Personalised Prescribing
- Ujwala Sangam
- Aug 21, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 3, 2023
Table of Contents
Imagine a world where one-size-fits-all is no longer the norm for medical treatment. Where the effectiveness of medication and severity of potential side effects are not based on educated guesses or luck but tailored specifically to you. This is not a distant dream, but a growing reality, made possible by a revolutionary field called pharmacogenomics.
Read on to join us on a journey exploring this revolutionary field of medicine, how it can help patients and clinicians, and why we must embrace this technology to improve patient care.
Understanding Pharmacogenomics
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genetic makeup affects a person's response to drugs.
Think of yourself as a remarkable, highly advanced computer, with your DNA serving as the unique and complex software driving you. This 'software' is made up of four primary components: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G), much like coding elements in a computer program.
This programming language of life, your DNA, holds the user manual - your genes. Genes give precise orders to your cells on how to function, just like a code instructing a computer on its tasks.
Though we all share a common 'programming language,' the specific combination of these components is distinctive for every individual. This individual 'code' leads to the unique production and function of proteins in our bodies - determining how they interact with other chemicals, including medications.
One way that pharmacogenomics can help you is by determining how your body absorbs and processes specific medications. This information can then be used to improve the efficacy and reduce side effects of drugs. Understanding your unique genetic profile can significantly enhance medication effectiveness, making your treatment as personalised as your DNA. It's a promising new field, where you participate actively alongside a pharmacogenomics (PGx) practitioner, like Medgene Precision Health, tailoring medicine to work optimally, just for you.
Understanding the benefits of pharmacogenomics
It is often a matter of trial and error to find treatments that work for patients without causing intolerable side effects. This process can be expensive and time-consuming for healthcare services, and frustrating and unpleasant for patients.
Doctors never want the remedy to be worse than the disease - but so many patients continue to suffer because either:
the medication prescribed to treat their conditions doesn't work effectively;
it results in horrible side effects; or
it negatively impacts their health in other areas.
The solution is simple: personalised medicine. The field of pharmacogenomics is growing rapidly and has the potential to transform how we treat disease, reduce side effects and improve patient outcomes.
A simple metaphor for pharmacogenomics - predicting the future
Think of medical treatment as a road journey. Previously, we relied on a basic road atlas when taking a trip - a guide that has its limitations and couldn't predict disruptions.
Today, you likely rely on GPS technology, which not only maps your route but also anticipates and adapts to obstacles, making the journey smoother, less daunting, more predictable - and less stressful.
In fact, before embarking on an important journey these days, you probably check Google Maps to gauge how your journey will go. And that access to empowerment through knowledge is available for your medical journey - again, through technological advancement. Pharmacogenomics (PGx).
PGx testing serves as your healthcare GPS. It foresees how your body might respond to different treatments based on your genetic makeup. Just as the conditions for every road journey are different, so are our bodies and the way we react to medications.
Pharmacogenomics empowers you to anticipate and plan your treatment path beforehand - much like a helpful GPS that reroutes us around disruptions automatically. It helps optimise your medications and dosages suited to your genetic profile, thereby minimising trial-and-error and reducing risk.
The Vital Role of Pharmacists
In the journey through the burgeoning field of pharmacogenomics, pharmacists are your expert guides. Our proficiency in medication management and frontline role in healthcare make us an essential figure in the delivery of personalised prescribing and healthcare solutions. With our expertise, pharmacists stand at the vanguard of integrating pharmacogenomics into daily practice.
At Medgene Precision Health, our recommendations are meticulously crafted by drawing on the most current and reputable sources to provide you with the highest standard of care. Our guidelines are informed by expert organisations, including the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC), Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base (PharmGKB), and the esteemed Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG) guidelines.
We understand the challenges of navigating healthcare, and we are committed to empowering you with reliable, cutting-edge knowledge based on these well-respected guidelines. By leveraging the industry's best practices, Medgene Precision Health positions itself as a dependable partner in your journey to optimise your health and well-being.
Unveiling the Science behind Pharmacogenomics
The core of pharmacogenomics lies in understanding how genes, drug response, and individual variability interlock.
When we take medication, our bodies need to break it down and process it. This process is called metabolization. Through breaking down the medication, our bodies absorb it and get it to where it's needed. Genetic variations influence how this process works because our proteins and enzymes are coded in different ways, as explained above.
If a drug is metabolised too quickly, you may experience greater side effects, or the benefits may wear off before they should. Too slowly, and it may build up to toxic levels.
Pharmacogenomics explains why...
your friends or family members have differing experiences when taking the same medication;
why certain patients might suffer kidney damage from medications while others don't - they may metabolise it slowly and it builds up in their system;
why one person might feel sudden drowsiness from a medication while others feel fine - they metabolise it quickly and it rushes through their system;
why some patients take longer to rouse from general anaesthesia - they metabolise the drugs more slowly.
Understanding how your genes impact how you respond to medications will inform the effective dosage and reduce the likelihood of adverse events. This understanding can provide a roadmap for precise, individualised treatment plans.
The Timeliness of Personalised Prescribing
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and British Pharmacological Society (BPS) both play leading roles in the UK in delivering high-quality patients care and setting standards of international healthcare excellence. It's no secret that the NHS is under strain, and the importance of maximising the efficiency of medicine has never been more important.
Human biology has been transformed by sequencing the human genome. Our relatively newfound knowledge of genetic variation presents a huge opportunity to improve patient outcomes and reduce pressure on the healthcare system. Through pharmacogenomics, we can predict and address side effects, and treat it on a personalised basis.
Technological advancements and expanding genomic research have made it possible to apply this knowledge in real-world settings and make it a mainstream tool for clinical practice. Progress in genetic testing availability and the burgeoning interest among healthcare professionals mark a tipping point for personalised medicine.
Empowering Patients to Take Control
Your genetic variants are, in a sense, like a loaded weapon; filled with dormant but deadly potential. They are harmless without a trigger. But, when everyday elements are potential triggers - your diet, environment, medications, lifestyle or development of future illnesses - leaving it to luck amounts to a high stakes gamble with dangerous odds.
Pharmacogenomics shifts the healthcare paradigm, placing you, the patient, at the centre. It empowers you to take ownership of your health and be an active participant in your care. The benefits are far-reaching – from improved treatment outcomes to better quality of life, and significantly reduced adverse drug reactions.
How to access pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing
Now, PGx testing is available on demand. In a free 20-minute consultation with us, we can discuss how PGx testing can benefit you, arrange your genetic testing, and then tailor your treatment plans and medication to match your genetic profile. PGx testing illuminates your unique health map, replacing ambiguity with knowledge and uncertainty with empowerment. But power doesn’t stop with knowledge – action is where true power lies. With the insights genetic testing can bring, you’re not just gaining information: you’re moving from bystander to active participant in your healthcare. PGx testing returns the power to where it belongs – with you.
Take control of your health. We’re here to help.
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