David W. Moskowitz
GenoMed Inc., USA
Title: Using a hitherto untapped healthcare resource to make the world dialysis-free: the role of pharmacists in disease prevention
Biography
Biography: David W. Moskowitz
Abstract
Everyone agrees that precision medicine will revolutionize healthcare, changing it from a complex, expensive, largely futile inpatient exercise to a simple, inexpensive, highly effective out-patient affair. Nowhere, is this more obvious than kidney failure. Genomic epidemiology using the ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism led to the observation that 90% of kidney failure can be prevented using the right ACE inhibitor at the right dose at the right time. No genotyping is required. Dialysis prevention should be the highest priority for every country, since dialysis patients suffer extreme morbidity and mortality. Not even the richest country can afford the dialysis epidemic engulfing the planet. Pharmacists are ideally suited to lead this effort, since dialysis prevention involves careful medication management, which pharmacists already perform. Measuring their customers’ blood pressure is all that is required; a blood pressure cuff can be obtained for each pharmacy for under $40. Pharmacies are well distributed throughout the patient population. The cost of such a prevention effort is low enough for patients with diabetes and hypertension to pay out of pocket, in case government funding is not available. GenoMed would be delighted to provide training and quality control to each participating pharmacist.