This paper examines the growing role of genetics and genomics in public health care, with a parallel focus on medication safety. It discusses how advances such as genetic testing, gene therapy, and genomic sequencing are transforming diagnostic and interventional medicine, while also acknowledging the challenges nurses and public health practitioners face in applying these advances — including insufficient education and limited outcome evidence. The paper also addresses medication safety concerns in public health, including medication errors, prescription drug misuse, and pharmacovigilance. It argues that nurses bear primary responsibility for medication safety and that pharmacogenomic knowledge can improve drug prescribing accuracy. The paper concludes that education and collaborative patient safety environments are essential for progress in both domains.
Contemporary health care has experienced significant changes in the recent past due to several factors, including advances in technology and in genetics and genomics. Nurses in the modern health care system are well positioned to incorporate genetic and genomic information into nearly every aspect of public health. This is primarily because advances in genetics and genomics are applicable across the full spectrum of health care and to every health care profession. The use of genetics and genomics in the current health care system is driven by the fact that nearly every health condition, disease risk, and treatment therapy has a genomic and/or genetic component (Calzone et al., 2010, p. 26).
Some of the most significant public health-related advances in genomics and genetics include genetic testing, gene therapy, and genotyping and genetic sequencing. These advances have made — and are expected to continue making — considerable improvements in diagnostic and interventional medicine (Huston, 2013). The primary contribution of genetics and genomics to health care is therefore the enhancement of diagnostic and interventional medicine. As a result, advances in genetics and genomics will continue to be applied in public health and health care over the next five years as health care professionals seek to improve patient outcomes and experiences.
Despite the growing role of genetics and genomics in contemporary health, public health practitioners have faced several challenges in this area, such as a lack of evidence relating to outcomes of genomically competent nursing practice and insufficient education regarding genetics and genomics. These challenges stem from the fact that the application of genetics and genomics to public health remains an emerging field. Because it is still emerging, the public should not have access to any commercially available genetic screening tests until there is adequate evidence of their impact on patient care.
Medication has increasingly been used as a treatment intervention for various health conditions. While the increased use of medicines has played a significant role in treatment, it has also raised several concerns regarding safety. Medication errors, the improper use of prescription medications, and drug safety have remained vital concerns in public health. The safety of medicines in public health — that is, pharmacovigilance — is an important tool with a direct impact on patient care. Drug safety, medication errors, and inappropriate use of prescription medications remain critical concerns because of their role in the prevention and treatment of disease ("The Safety of Medicines," 2006). Public health focuses on these issues in order to prevent significant harm to patients and ensure appropriate use of medications to enhance patient experiences and outcomes.
"Nurse-led strategies to reduce medication errors"
"Using genetic data to improve drug prescribing accuracy"
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