As we discover more about gene editing, we learn about the amazing and life-changing benefits that it can have for some of the worst and incurable diseases that we face today; however, we also starting to talk about the immeasurable power this science has and the devastating impact it could have on our entire ecosystem if misused (either intentionally or unintentionally). If we get it right, it will be very expensive and its use will be highly controversial. What are your thoughts on gene editing based on your research and assigned reading? Is it’s power too great? Too uncontrollable? Who should regulate its use? Keep in mind, this isn’t something that would just impact the USA, but the entire world. Is this limited to just diseases or can we eliminate the blonde hair gene and allow parents to “customize” their baby before they are born? Is gene editing used today in humans?
Pharmaceutical companies create patents for their drugs to prevent other organizations from making the same medicine and being the “only game in town”. This allows them to charge what they want and maintain sole ownership for the drug. Do you think this should be allowed? If not, the company would spend a lot of money in R&D, but other companies could benefit from the discoveries. How do we protect patients from price gouging? Who’s responsibility is it to make sure that patients can afford all of their medications? Many software systems (EHRs) will now show providers the approximate price of each medication so that they can make educated decisions for the patients instead of choosing the most expensive med, but ultimately, the medication might be critical. Why are medications different prices at different pharmacies? Ordering the right medication to the right pharmacy based on the patient’s unique health insurance plan is a lot to ask for a provider that only gave you a 15-minute visit; are they the right person to be held accountable for this? What do we (as a nation) do to help make drug prices more affordable (in your opinion or based on research)?
