Imagine a passenger plane crashing once a day in the country, killing hundreds of people every day. That is the scope of the problem with adverse drug reactions, the 4th leading cause of death in the USA. A solution is now available with precision prescribing software which personalizes prescriptions based on what makes us different.
What is precision prescribing software?
Precision prescribing software personalizes prescriptions to increase medication safety and efficacy by incorporating complex information from each individual including pharmacogenetics variants, laboratory results, other medications, diseases, and more. Precision prescribing software goes beyond the individual’s genetic code and also uses key health information and interactions to predict if a medication will work or will cause an adverse drug reaction. Powering every prescription with precision prescribing software has tremendous potential not only to increase medication safety and drug efficacy but also to reduce healthcare costs.
Adverse drug reactions: A silent health crisis
The current prescribing process is driving a silent health crisis: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The rate of potentially inappropriate prescribing is now greater than 40% 1 and ADRs are the 4th leading cause of death causing over 100,000 deaths annually in the US 2.
Considering the massive amount of clinical evidence and patient information required to find medications that are safe and effective, such high rates of inappropriate prescriptions and adverse drug reactions are not surprising. Despite guidelines and drug alerts, the epidemic of prescribing related deaths is a reality today.
Disrupting the prescription pad
Today’s drug prescriptions are based on recommendations set out more than 60 years ago but a lot has changed. Back then, assessing the clinical evidence was not a challenge for prescribers as there were less than 100 drugs used in practice; today there are over 1,400 drugs approved by the FDA alone. A primary care physician would need to read for 20 hours a day to cover all the articles with material relevant to their specialty 3
Today we also have a better understanding of the intricate interplay between how medications work and our bodies including our genetic code, kidney, liver, diseases, other medications, etc. However, it is very difficult to integrate all these complex variables and their interactions into the current prescribing process, in particular for patients with several conditions taking multiple medications. According to a new study, the proportion of people who died with two or more chronic conditions increased from 79.6% in 1994 to 95.3% in 2013.
The prescription pad is ripe for disruption and precision prescribing software can alleviate the burden that inappropriate prescribing has on patient safety and quality of care. A real precision prescribing software takes precision to a whole different level as the algorithms consider not only an individual’s genetic makeup but also a whole set of patient data and the best clinical evidence to predict individuals’ drug response. With precision prescribing software, the burden on patient safety and quality of care are significantly enhanced, health budgets are significantly reduced, and the overall health of our populations is improved.
About GenXys
GenXys provides the world’s most comprehensive precision prescribing software to solve healthcare’s most pressing challenges. Our precision prescribing software and pharmacogenetic solutions prevent adverse drug reactions, the 4th leading cause of death in the US, and personalize drug selection to increase drug efficacy. Powering every prescription with our software improves medication safety, increases drug efficacy and reduces healthcare costs.
Reference
- Moriarty, F. et al. Potentially inappropriate prescribing and its association with health outcomes in middle-aged people: a prospective cohort study in Ireland. BMJ Open 7, e016562 (2017).
- FDA. Evaluation. & Research. Drug Interactions & Labeling – Preventable Adverse Drug Reactions: A Focus on Drug Interactions. Retrieve on June 26th 2018. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/developmentapprovalprocess/developmentresources/druginteractionslabeling/ucm110632.htm
- Alper, B. S. et al. How much effort is needed to keep up with the literature relevant for primary care? J. Med. Libr. Assoc. 92, 429–437 (2004).