How Genetics Impact How We Metabolize Medication

 

It is estimated that 20%-95% of an individual’s variation in drug response is based on genetics. Among the top-selling prescription drugs, 59% of the 27 medicines most frequently cited as leading to Adverse Drug Events (ADE) are metabolized by at least one enzyme known to have gene variants that code for reduced-functioning or non-functioning proteins.

As a medical professional you can document factors such as age, physiologic function, and multiple disease management, but a patient's genotype remains a major unknown in most drug prescribing. All too often, this results in an ADE.  

ADE risk increases exponentially in patients taking 4 or more drugs. Administration and management of multiple medications is common in patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, diabetes, and psychiatric conditions. Patients with chronic medical conditions taking multiple medications – in particular, those over 65 years of age – face the highest ADE risk.

How to prevent ade's from occuring

Adverse events include "side effects" as well as ineffective drug performance.  Some industry statistics include:

  • ADEs are the fourth to sixth greatest killer in the US, with more than 100,000 deaths per year; 2.2 million serious adverse reactions occur per year, according to a 1998 Journal of the American Medical Association report. (JAMA 279:1200 1998).
  • ADEs are the cost leader for medical malpractice payouts.
  • 21.3% of the 548 most recently FDA approved medications were subsequently withdrawn from the market or given a black box warning. JAMA 287:2215 2002
  • The U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that 51% of new drugs have serious, undetected adverse effects at the time of approval.
  • $289 billion in added health care costs per year (Thinking Outside the Pillbox, A System-wide Approach to Improving Patient Medication Adherence for Chronic Disease)
  • A NEHI Research Brief – August 2009 HMOs spend more treating ADRs (ADE's) than on drugs.
  • Up to one-third of drug prescriptions are not needed and therefore wasted.

While performing a preemptive Pharmacogenetic (PGx) test on every patient would be beneficial, it is not economical.  Our proactive platform enables medical professionals so identification and guidelines for determining medical appropriateness are documented.   

Our PGx testing protocol is simple and pain free (for both you and your patient).