We all want our healthcare to fit us as individuals. An important piece is having good communication with our healthcare providers. But let’s talk about something even more personal — something totally unique to each one of us. The role of genetics in medication effectiveness and safety Our DNA makes us unique. We differ from one another in eye and hair color, height, gender, physical ability and more. All of
As a Medication Management pharmacist, I often get questions about statin drugs for high cholesterol. Many people have heard negative things about statins, and are reluctant to take them. That’s understandable – no one wants to take a medicine that causes more harm than benefit. But I’ve learned that many haven’t explored BOTH the risks and benefits with their doctor or pharmacist. If you’re faced with the decision about whether
Greetings, everybody! I hope that this article finds you all doing well. As you may or may not already know, October 10th is World Mental Health Day. There has been a lot of focus on the importance of mental health and increasing access to mental health care. In fact, statistics suggest that up to nearly 20% of Americans experience a mental illness in a given year. It is possible that
Pharmacogenetics (PGx)– the study of how genetics affects a person’s response to drugs — is an exciting new field in healthcare. In the third article of this series on Personalized Medicine, we talked about the nuts and bolts of PGx and why it can improve the treatment of some health problems. To recap, genetic differences can change the way people respond to medication. The result? Some people get little or no effect from