The student nurse has been reading about the Human Genome Project, and asks the nursing instructor how it will affect future pharmacological therapies. Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?

Question

1. "It will help prevent disease through gene manipulation, but will not impact drugs."
2. "We will be able to alter genes, so we will not need drugs,"
3. "We will be able to standardize drug doses to make prescribing easier."
4. "It will help to individualize drug therapy for people in a more effective way."

Answer 1

4. "It will help to individualize drug therapy for people in a more effective way."
Correct Answer: 4
Rationale 1: Medications will be impacted greatly by this research.
Rationale 2: Altering genes to prevent illness is a possibility, but we will always need medications.
Rationale 3: Individuals will still respond differently to medications; not all drugs will have standardized doses.
Rationale 4: The goal of pharmacogenetics is to help individualize drug therapy for people in a more effective way.
Global Rationale: The goal of pharmacogenetics is to help individualize drug therapy for people in a more effective way. Medications will be impacted greatly by this research. Altering genes to prevent illness is a possibility, but we will always need medications. Individuals will still respond differently to medications; not all drugs will have standardized doses.