Pharmaceuticals Case Study - Heading Towards Customized Treatment

By Author: Vijay K Shetty
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Many pharmaceutical companies are talking about an impending change in the industry that promises to radically change the way treatment is offered to patients. Gone are the days of generic drugs and bulk therapies that are intended for the masses instead of focusing on the needs of an individual.

What are the forces that have pushed the pharmaceutical industry to think f making such a change? The conventional one-drug for all is not considered suitable for the current population. This is due to both the rising cost of health care and the increase in the number of senior citizens who need more medical attention. Secondly, health care providers are thinking from the angle of providing treatment that is more effective so that the error is reduced and both time and money is not wasted in imparting treatment that is not effective.

The implementation of this customized treatment will not be limited to pharmaceutical companies only. Successful collaboration between drug companies, physicians, and employers will help to ensure that the individuals get the level of care and treatment that they need and do not have to endure ...
... the inconvenience and hassle of taking drugs that just do not work.

How is customized treatment possible? Here is where genomics and biological markers and indicators come into place. Research is already underway and pharmaceutical companies are investing in finding new ways of diagnosing and treating particular problems in individuals. Refilling prescription drugs will no longer be the norm - instead patients will be tested for their current condition and given the appropriate medications according to the new diagnosis.

As the scenario stands now, there is a large chunk of patients who do not benefit from the available treatment options. This could be due to their inability to get the right treatment in a timely manner, do not respond to these drugs or do not follow the recommendations give by their physicians. By offering personalized treatment to these individuals pharmaceutical companies hope to capture this segment and reduce the number of cases and lawsuits that ensue because of negligence and ineffective treatment.

Although pharmaceuticals companies are apprehensive about how these changes will affect their business potential, there are also those that believe that in the end customized treatment will help align the pharmaceutical business in the right direction and help to treat more patients effectively.

Since customized treatment is dependent on the availability of personal information about individual patients, there are concerns about the privacy and security of this data. Therefore, new laws have to be implemented so that companies do not use this information against their employees that adversely affect their medical coverage.

Vijay K Shetty, Platinum Level Author.
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