Little immediate impact of genomics on pharmacy
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Tests based on chromosomal analysis likely to impact most on pharmacy |
Genetic technologies are likely to have little impact on pharmacy practice within the next five years, according to a new report commissioned by the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust.
“Realising the potential of genomic medicine” aims to assess
the short- and medium-term prospects for the development of genomic technologies — including
gene-based diagnostic tests, pharmacogenetics and novel biological therapies — in
order to help influence changes in policy, practice and the organisation
of health care that may need to accompany their introduction.
Lead author of the report Paul Martin, of the Institute for the Study
of Genetics, Biorisks and Society at the University of Nottingham, told
The Journal that a number of pharmacogenetic tests have been developed
for use in clinical trials but many of them are unlikely to become available
in clinical practice. “Commercially they are not viable. Only in
the cancer therapy area at the moment does it look like there is a market
for these tests,” he said.
In the medium term — say over the next 10 or 20 years — pharmacogenetic
tests and biomarkers of drug response are likely to have the most significant
impact on pharmacy practice, with therapeutic proteins and pharmacogenetic
drugs also having some impact, says the report. Most of the technologies
will be used in secondary and tertiary care settings and, rarely, in
community pharmacy, said Dr Martin.
The report says that new technologies will only succeed if they can be
integrated into established and emerging local services. It is therefore
essential to involve the pharmacy profession in research that examines
the drivers and barriers to the adoption of these technologies and to
assess the training and information needs of staff who are likely to
be conducting pharmacogenetic tests, it says. It adds that pharmacists
should be involved in the design, development and piloting of different
models of service delivery.
The Pharmacy Practice Research Trust commissioned the report to inform
the development of the next phase of its “Medicines and people” programme.
CPD p109, Article p113 |
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