Pharmacogenomics may be the next big trend in anesthesia care, according to a recent industry and market news alert by Anesthesia Business Consultants' CEO and president Tony Mira.
Here's what you need to know:
1. Pharmacogenetic testing is a personalized approach to medicine. It allows anesthesiologists to tailor anesthesia medication based on a patient's genetic data.
2. By analyzing a patient's genetic composition, anesthesiologists can predict which drugs a patient may react poorly to. This could prove useful for identifying patients at risk of opioid addiction.
3. However, some say more research on pharmacogenetics is necessary before physicians tout the benefits of this testing technique.
4. Reimbursement for pharmacogenetics is a challenge. Last year, Medicare discontinued payment for some pharmacogenetic testing.
5. Regardless, Mr. Mira concludes: "pharmacogenomics is unlikely to disappear and anesthesiologists would be wise to keep it on their radars."