The future of healthcare could be written in your DNA. As medicine grows ever more specialised, one field is emerging as a breakthrough in personalising treatment: Pharmacogenomics, the study of how genes influence the way people respond to medication.<\/p>\n
According to IMU University Deputy Director of Institute for Research, Development and Innovation Prof Ts Dr Mai Chun Wai, pharmacogenomics is not a new area, it is just that in the last decade the technology has become far more accessible as the cost of gene sequencing has dropped.<\/p>\n
He shared that traditionally, doctors prescribe based on guidelines, often adjusting through trial and error.<\/p>\n
\u201cPharmacogenomics could change that. By looking at a patient\u2019s genetic profile, healthcare providers can identify which drugs will be most effective and at what dosage, reducing side effects and wasted time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith prior knowledge of their patients\u2019 genetic makeup, doctors can prescribe with more confidence,\u201d Prof Mai explained. \u201cThis saves patients from trying multiple treatments, lowers costs, and improves outcomes by ensuring they receive the right medication the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Globally, pharmacogenomics is already influencing cancer care, cardiology, psychiatry, infectious diseases and pain management.<\/p>\n
Pharmacists are especially well-placed to apply pharmacogenomics. With their expertise in how drugs work, they can interpret genetic test results, advise doctors on the right prescriptions and help patients understand what their results mean.<\/p>\n
\u201cPharmacogenomics will change the way healthcare professionals practice medicine as it brings us closer to the five rights of medication: The right patient, the right drug, the right time, the right dose and the right route,\u201d Prof Mai said.<\/p>\n
Malaysia\u2019s First Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n Locally, Prof Mai shared that some community pharmacies and clinics already offer genetic testing, sending samples to labs for sequencing.<\/p>\n \u201cOn a broader scale, the first Malaysia Pharmacogenomics Summit in 2024 gathered experts, policymakers and industry players to discuss research, pilot projects, training and local guidelines.<\/p>\n \u201cNevertheless, Malaysia still faces hurdles because most existing data is based on Western populations, meaning more studies are needed for Asian genetics. Cost is another barrier \u2014 while prices are falling, sequencing remains more expensive than standard tests. Integrating genetic information into clinical practice will also require updated systems, trained staff and strong safeguards for patient privacy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Hence, he revealed that for pharmacogenomics to thrive in Malaysia, education is key. Medical and pharmacy training must evolve to include interpreting genetic results, while practical tools should be developed to support prescribing decisions.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, this is still a very new field and there\u2019s a lot of groundwork to be done,\u201d he said. \u201cBut with awareness and training, we can look forward to seeing pharmacogenomics improve patient care in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n As technology advances and costs fall, pharmacogenomics could soon shift from cutting-edge to commonplace. For patients, it offers something healthcare has long aspired to deliver \u2014 treatment that\u2019s as unique as they are.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The future of healthcare could be written in your DNA. As medicine grows ever more specialised, one field…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":248162,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[815,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-248161","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-genetics","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115252046301915762","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}