Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacoeconomics Exploration
Introduction
It is important to note, from the onset, that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (2018), it is estimated that in the U.S., 30.3 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes thus far. As CDC further points out, within the last two decades, the number of persons diagnosed with the condition has increased by a multiple of 3. This is a clear indicator of the existing need for interventions seeking to salvage the situation. In the long-term, the treatment as well as management of diabetes also happens to be rather costly. According to the American Diabetes Association – ADA (2018), “the estimated total economic cost of diagnosed diabetes in 2017 was $327 billion.” Each year, there are approximately 1.5 million new diagnoses made for diabetes. This text seeks to explore pharmacogenetics and pharmacoeconomics principles in relation to pharmacological treatment as well as patient outcomes. In so doing, the management of type 2 diabetes will be the primary focus. This is more so the case given that type 2 diabetes accounts for a vast majority of diabetes cases.
Discussion
Diabetes presents a staggering economic as well as social burden. As a matter of fact, in 2018, diabetes was listed as a leading cause of death – with the condition assuming the 7th position in this case (CDC, 2018). Further, it is important to note that as Cohen (2010) observes, in the year 2017, the condition used up a total of $245 billion in direct and direct costs. As various research studies conducted in the past have indicated, comorbid conditions usually get in the way of the effective treatment and management of diabetes. Some of the more common comorbid conditions include, but they are not limited to, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. It should be noted that failure to effectively manage...
For instance, given that cardiovascular disease has been linked to a high number of deaths amongst persons with diabetes, the management of the former could lead to better outcomes for the latter. As Cohen (2010) points out, outcomes could also be worsened by a wide range of other factors. For instance, depression could result in poor-self management and failure to properly adhere to the treatment regimen. It therefore follows that the quality of life and glycemic outcomes can in this case be enhanced via the effective management of the comorbid conditions. The economic burden would also be reduced as a consequence.
Antidiabetic pharmaceutical choices are routinely impacted upon by a wide range of global trends. These could be inclusive of “increasing numbers of patients with diabetes, with increasing costs of caring for people with diabetes, and an ever-present focus on the costs of pharmaceuticals…” (Rascati, 2013, p. 201). It is important to note that the authors further observe, the said costs are largely expected to increase going forward as the growing incidence of diabetes mirrors new medications development pace. Pharmacoeconomics permits the application of health economics methodologies as well as principles in diverse pharmaceutical settings. For this reason, the main focus in this case is the assessment and evaluation of the incremental benefits of intervention vis-à-vis the associated costs. .
According to Cohen (2010), “pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics investigate the influence of genetic and genomic variations on drug response in individuals” (73). Pharmacogenomics, on the other hand, seeks to assess and evaluate medication responses and the inherent genetic mediators. As far as pharmacogenomics is concerned, studies conducted in the past…
