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In most patients, some types of drugs function better as expected, but the same cannot be said about other patients who experience advance side effects such as toxic effects, even with minimal doses. The reason for such adverse outcomes, in some patients, has been attributed to genetic. This essay defines pharmacogenomic testing, demonstrates how it would change prescription of opioid treatments and potential benefits to medical marijuana testing.
According to Kitzmiller et al., pharmacogenomics is the study of “how genetic factors relate to interindividual variability of drug response” (243). It has been established that significant minorities of the population have genetic variants referred to as polymorphisms, which influence their reactions to different drugs (Kitzmiller et al. 243). Studies in genetic and comprehension of drug variability have led to increased pharmacogenomic testing in the last decade. As such, several polymorphisms have been tested and results are currently available.
Specifically for opioids and pain management, researchers have demonstrated that people with elevated levels of phenotype activities may need increased doses of opioids compared to patients with low phenotype activities (Tennant and Hocum 3). Based on such results, the researchers noted that the most appropriate mechanism involved high-activity catechol-o methyltransferase (COMT) outcomes, which led to a decreased response of the neurotransmitter and, thus, low signal transduction when painful stimuli occurred, causing higher pain intensity (Tennant and Hocum 3). In addition, these studies have also established that people with such conditions also reflect reduced downstream opioid receptor density (Tennant and Hocum 3). When such patients suffer pain, it could be extremely severe and, therefore, higher doses of opioid are normally needed.
Medical marijuana is known to management chronic pain conditions such as spinal cord insult, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain among others (Stanz 1). In this regard, pharmacogenomic testing can significantly transforms prescription of medical marijuana to patients. For instance, in the recent years, a medical marijuana-testing laboratory has developed a technology to predict possible outcomes associated with “medical marijuana several strains through the use scientific data and reviews obtained from social networking Web site” (Stanz 1). Consequently, patients can personally choose medical marijuana based on ratings for “sleep aid, pain relief, nausea treatment and anxiety, appetite stimulation, and mood modification” (Stanz 1). These new technologies open more avenues for pharmacogenomic testing to enhance outcomes. Thus, medical marijuana with multiple applications can be effectively used based on pharmacogenomic testing results.
Obviously, pharmacogenomic testing will transform the practice of medicine and prescription. It has been noted that the use of pharmacogenomic testing is now extending to some widely prescribed medicine and other drugs used in primary care. It is imperative to note that the mass application of individualized medicine is not yet developed while expert committees have not given their opinions for most drugs, including medical marijuana.
With the information of patients’ genetic conditions, physicians could determine possible reactions of patients to specific drugs, including medicine marijuana. As such, they are most likely to lead to enhanced efficacy, reduced cases of advance outcomes related to drugs, and lower costs of treatment. Thus, potential impacts of pharmacogenomic testing are substantial because many drugs with adverse outcomes are subjected to chemical activities involving polymorphic enzymes. Adverse, unexpected reactions of drugs remain risky to public health. Hence, morbidity and mortality associated with adverse drug reactions, including medical marijuana can be curbed through pharmacogenomic testing.
References
Kitzmiller, Joseph P. David K. Groen, Mitch A. Phelps and Wolfgang Sadee. “Pharmacogenomic testing: Relevance in medical practice.” Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine 78.4 (2011): 243–257. Print.
Stanz, Angel. “Medical Marijuana Testing Lab Claims To Forecast Personalized Cannabis Treatment.” Laboratory Network. 2011. Web.
Tennant, Forest and Brian Hocum. “Pharmacogenetics and Pain Management.” Practical Pain Management 15.7 (2015): 1-3. Print.
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