The topic of pharmacogenomics and chronic illnesses was selected for the following discussion. The problem of pharmacogenomics use for the treatment of mental illness is relevant because one in four people suffer from this type of medical condition (Wax, 2012). The article by White et al. (2018) investigates the impact of pharmacogenomics on patient outcomes and illustrates the application of the discipline in psychiatric nursing. The researchers claim that pharmacological treatment often leads to suboptimal results, has significant side effects, and does not consider the unique characteristics of a patient. The introduction of genomics can help nurses to apply a personalized approach to the treatment of chronic mental illnesses. The study of gene-gene interactions and individual genetic variations might improve the therapeutic efficacy of drugs and reduce adverse effects. The authors conclude that pharmacogenomics advancements have the potential to reduce expenses and improve patient outcomes via the targeted treatment of mental illnesses.
The nurse’s primary role is to provide patients with a range of treatment options and help them avoid costly trial-and-error procedures, which cause frequent hospital visits and workplace absenteeism. Moreover, nurses might use the data from genetic profile testing as a source of knowledge on patients’ responses to particular medications because inherent differences in genomes determine the effectiveness of treatment (Altman, 2013). Advocacy associated with genomic technology in healthcare is another role of the nurse. Nursing professionals should advocate for the development and implementation of safe and affordable pharmacogenomics testing because the technology can improve patient outcomes and relieve the financial burden of managing a mental illness.
Despite the multiple benefits of pharmacogenomics and genetics in the nursing practice, the methods have ethical implications that should be considered. The main ethical issue is associated with the lack of the nurse’s understanding of how to interpret the results of the genomic testing (Hewitt, 2018). Proper pharmacologic response interpretation will require time-consuming and costly education, which might be insufficient for analyzing the results in specific geographic or therapeutic environments. Additionally, any genomic-based and genetic modifications of humans involve the nurse’s responsibility for a patient’s informed consent, safety, and outcomes (Doudna, 2015). Thus, the methods cannot be employed without relevant research-based government regulations, which might take years to develop.
References
Altman, R. (2013). Personalized prescriptions [Video].
Doudna, J. (2015). How CRISPR lets us edit our DNA [Video]. TED.
Hewitt, J. E. (2018). The ethical, legal and regulatory issues associated with pharmacogenomics: Systematically quantifying the literature. J Law Med, 25(3), 782–793.
Wax, R. (2012). What’s so funny about mental illness? TED.
White, M. M., Walker, D. K., Howington, L. L., & Cheek, D. J. (2018). Pharmacogenomics and psychiatric nursing. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2, 194–198.