Pharmacogenomics is a portmanteau scientific study that incorporates both pharmacology and genomics. In this regard, the study identifies ways in which human genes react as a result of an individual’s use of drugs. This study deals with the influence of inherited genetic variation on their significant responses to drugs in a patient. The practitioners will identify how drugs influence various responses by correlating a single nucleotide polymorphism with the absorption, metabolism, distribution and elimination of the drug. In this case, pahrmacogenomics has the main goal of optimizing drug therapy through tailoring drugs to the individual genotype ensuring maximum efficacy and minimal adverse effects (Mills, Voora, Peyser & Haga, 2013).
Despite the general acceptance of pharmacogenetics into nursing and other medical practices there are numerous challenges associated with the implementation, uptake and standardization of the study. Some of the challenges include the limitations on implementing the test into nursing practice and treatment, lack of available tests, ethical, legal and social issues and minimal understanding and interpretation of the available research (Jenkins, Calzone, Caskey, Culp, Weiner & Badzek, 2015). These issues particularly regarding the evidence-based research makes it difficult to implement pharmacogenomics into nursing practice. Through increased training of nursing practitioners the medical study could effectively be implemented and ensure that positive results are realized in patient care.
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Developments observed in pharmacogenomics are integral to the changing practices of providing care. As a result, nurses are required to educate patients and families on the various ways that these developments identified. These will be communicated before and after testing. Some of the information that would be provided before testing include purpose of testing and the influence of genes in drug response, the risks, benefits, limitations and alternatives that come with the PGx testing, emphasizing that DNA analysis is the major focus of the testing and the future benefits that could be addressed as a result of the PGx testing (Mills, et al., 2013). After testing the nurse should include effective risk communication strategies, the changes if any that will be made to the prescribed drug, making necessary referrals, re-emphasizing relevance of test results in terms of future treatments and providing patient letter that summarizes the results, implications and recommendations (Mills, et al., 2013).
References
Jenkins, J., Calzone, K. A., Caskey, S., Culp, S., Weiner, M., & Badzek, L. (2015). Methods of genomic competency integration in practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship , 47 (3), 200-210.
Mills, R., Voora, D., Peyser, B. & Haga, S. B. (2013) “Delivering Pharmacogenetic Testing in a Primary Care Setting”, Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine , 6:105-112.
