PERSONALIZED MEDICINE – ADVANTAGES

AND DISADVANTAGES
THE IDEA OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE IS NEW AND A DEVELOPING PROCESS. DISEASES ARE GENREALLY
INFLUENCED BY VARIOUS FACTORS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO A PERSON AND SOME OF WHICH CAN BE
NATURAL FACTORS FROM THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. LEARNING ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
THAT ARE AFFECTING THE DISEASE CAN MAKE THE TREAMENT MORE EFFECTIVE AND THIS KIND OF
TREAMENT IS PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.

SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE ARE –

*EFFICIENCY OF CARE PROVIDED TO THE PATIENT THROUGH PERSONALIZED MEDICINE CAN HAVE VERY
HIGH CHANCES OF SUCCESS RATES AS THE DOCTOR CAN ASESS THE INVIDUAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE
PATIENT AND THEN PROVIDE TREATMENT ACCORDINGLY.

*PREVENTIVE CARE – IF GENETIC SCREENING IS DONE TO A PATICULAR PATIENT THEN THE DISEASE
THAT A PATIENT MAY SUFFER FROM IN THE FUTURE CAN BE DELAYED OF TREATED ACCORDINGLY.
*POPULATION HEALTH CAN ALSO BE IMPROVED THROUGH OBSERVATION OF THE GENETIC PATTERNS
IN THE POPULATION AND HOW THE ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS THEM.

ALTHOUGH PERSONALIZED MEDICINE HAS ITS ADVANTAGES , THE TREATMENT HAS ITS DRAWBACKS
AND PEOPLE HAVE A DIVIDED OPINION ABOUT THE IDEA OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.

SOME OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE CAN BE –

*INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS FOR PERSONALIZED MEDICINE CAN BE VERY HIGH AND

DEMANDING. AS A RESULT THE COST OF TREAMENT MAY ALSO BE VERY HIGH. TO IMPLEMENT
PERSONALIZED MEDICINE CHANGES MUST BE MADE TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND STORAGE COLLECTION
OF THE FACILITY AND THIS REQUIRES A LOT OF EFFORT AND DEDICATION.

*LEGAL PROBLEMS AND ETHICS ASSOCIATED WITH PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.

*SELECTIVE BIAS MAY BE OBSERVED AND THE RELEVANCE OF INFORMATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF
THE DISEASE CAN BE QUESTIONED.

*ALSO SINCE PERSONALIZED MEDICINES ARE DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO THE DISEASE, THERE WILL BE
A LOT OF UNTESTED MEDICINES THAT COME INTO THE MARKET AND THEY MIGHT HAVE HARMFUL
EFFECTS TO THE BODY OF THE PATIENT. THIS MIGHT RAISE NEW CONCERNS.

I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT PERSONALIZED MEDICNE IS AN IMPORTANT WAY OF

APPROACH TO TREAMENT TO CHRONIC DISEASES OF THE PATIENTS. ALTHOUGH VARIOUS FACTORS ARE
INVOLVED IN ITS DEVELOPMENT, IT HOLDS A GOOD FUTURE IN THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF
MEDICAL SCIENCES.