Millions of men and women in uniform have served in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past 11 years, and many of them have come back with physical and mental scars as well as chronic pain associated with their service. In 2009 alone military physicians wrote more than 3.9 million prescriptions for pain management medications. While such medications can have a therapeutic effect on chronic pain, they are implicated in an epidemic of prescription drug abuse among the military and veteran populations.
This crisis in prescription drug abuse highlights a great opportunity to adopt new technologies and improve the health care outcomes for our newest generation of veterans. There are compelling public health and national security reasons to pilot innovative programs in the military and veteran populations first, before rolling out a national public health strategy.
The Military Is Unique
The military population is unique in that an individual’s health care typically takes place in the same system throughout his or her life. With advancements in electronic medical records it will be possible to track each service member from the age of 18 until that person’s death. There is an enormous number of data points that could be analyzed to more appropriately deliver care. This fact is critical when we look at novel technology like pharmacogenomic testing.
Pharmacogenomic Testing
With pharmacogenomic testing, a patient’s genotype is analyzed to more appropriately deliver care. For example, the way a person metabolizes medication can typically be predicted based on his or her genetic characteristics. In a military population context, armed with this knowledge, military physicians could more specifically treat patients knowing how they will respond to a given medication or treatment. This is not only safer but also has the potential to save millions of dollars in health care costs. In relation to prescription drug abuse, pharmacogenomic testing can assist a physician in determining if an abuse-deterrent or alternative therapy is more appropriate for a patient.
Medication Monitoring
Medication monitoring and drug detection also hold great promise for innovation in military health care. With these technologies a physician can determine the load of a given medication or substance in one’s system. With this information physicians can avoid predictable adverse drug interactions with a given therapy, thereby delivering safer and less expensive care to patients. The military conducts a large amount of illicit drug testing. With a concerted program of medication monitoring and drug detection, military leaders could not only more accurately deliver care but also identify the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs. Medication monitoring and drug detection technologies could have an enormous impact on reducing prescription drug misuse and abuse in the military and veteran populations.
A new generation of military service members and veterans will continue to transition back home over the coming years. Our nation is at a critical point where we can impact the long-term health of these individuals. Innovative novel technologies like pharmacogenomic testing and medication monitoring can positively affect the health outcomes of our bravest.
By Brett Hunt
Last Updated on April 22, 2020 by Aimed Alliance
