1. The Equitable Implementation of Cystic Fibrosis Personalized Medicines in Canada
- Author
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Felix Ratjen, John Wallenburg, Genevieve Shemie, Bartha Maria Knoppers, and Minh Thu Nguyen
- Subjects
Canada ,business.industry ,Internet privacy ,Authorization ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Diagnostic test ,health policy ,Review ,ethics ,healthcare equity ,personalized medicines ,cystic fibrosis ,03 medical and health sciences ,access ,0302 clinical medicine ,030228 respiratory system ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Business ,Personalized medicine ,Socioeconomic status ,Health policy ,Shadow (psychology) ,Healthcare system - Abstract
This article identifies the potential sources of inequity in three stages of integrating cystic fibrosis personalized medicines into the Canadian healthcare system and proposes mitigating strategies: (1) clinical research and diagnostic testing; (2) regulatory oversight and market authorization; and (3) implementation into the healthcare system. There is concern that differential access will cast a dark shadow over personalized medicine by stratifying the care that groups of patients will receive—not only based on their genetic profiles, but also on the basis of their socioeconomic status. Furthermore, there is a need to re-evaluate regulatory and market approval mechanisms to accommodate the unique nature of personalized medicines. Physical and financial accessibility ought to be remedied before personalized medicines can be equitably delivered to patients. This article identifies the socio–ethical and legal challenges at each stage and recommends mitigating policy solutions.
- Published
- 2021
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