Medical experts believe United States President Barrack Obama's precision medicine plan will only be effective if major reforms in the country's healthcare system will be conducted, Reuters reported.
These changes include establishing a nationwide genetic profile database and modifying how drugs are approved and marketed.
Obama unveiled details of his precision medicine plan on Jan. 20 during his State of the Nation address.
Under the new plan, medical firms will create drugs specifically designed for each individual's genome. The new program aims to eliminate a one-size-fits-all approach and prevent administering ineffective drugs and those with hazardous side-effects.
"Tonight, I'm launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes - and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier," Obama said during his speech according to NBC News.
"I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine - one that delivers the right treatment at the right time," he continued. "In some patients with cystic fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once thought unstoppable."
Although the new plan seems promising due to its personalized approach, some experts maintained that certain changes must be made before precision medicine is implemented.
Since the program is based on creating drugs based on a person's DNA, the government needs to create a database showing each individual's genetic profile. This will allow pharmaceutical researchers and doctors to study each person's genetic makeup before designing and administering specific treatments.
In addition, private insurance providers also need to conduct changes in their operations to include genetic testing. This would be necessary in order to determine the cost of an effective treatment that will be used to combat a person's disease.
Lastly, experts noted that the U.S. Food and Drug administration will have to impose new guidelines when it comes to approving newly manufactures drugs.
Since precision medicine is based on a personalized approach, medical drugs need to be classified based on their specific purposes.
For example, drugs for cancer treatment will have to be marketed based on the disease's type of mutation instead of just labeling it as a cure for lung cancer.
