This article discusses the importance of science-informed policies in healthcare, particularly in the context of precision medicine and pharmacogenetics. It highlights the need for Canada to collect comprehensive demographic data to ensure equitable access to healthcare for its diverse population.
In today’s rapidly changing world, effective interaction between science, public policy , and health care is more necessary than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for policy decisions to be rooted in scientific evidence. While innovations such as mRNA vaccines emerged rapidly in response to the COVID-19 crisis, inconsistent policies and widespread misinformation fuelled public distrust and tragic health outcomes.
This disconnection not only highlighted the importance of clear, science-informed policy, but also proved the need for scientists to engage proactively in policy-making and in public communication, particularly in health care where lives are on the line. In Canada—which has one of the world’s most egalitarian health-care systems—a significant gap persists between the country’s commitment to health equity and the realities of precision care for its diverse population. Pierre D. Sarr, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University. Photograph courtesy of Pierre Sarr While personalized medicine and pharmacogenetics promise better treatment outcomes and fewer side effects, Canada’s health-care system is falling behind, and indeed crumbling in the aftershock of the pandemic. Personalized medicine allows for treatments tailored to a patient’s genetic characteristics, while pharmacogenetics considers genetic variations in responding to medications. Together, these fields can revolutionize health care. Yet, without collecting comprehensive demographic data—e.g. age, sex, ethnicity, education level—Canada risks leaving underrepresented groups underserved. As health care becomes increasingly precision-driven, scientifically informed policies to support inclusive data collection are more crucial than ever. To fully embrace this precision-driven approach, Canada must commit to disaggregated demographic data collection for health research, including ethnic information for certain disease
Precision Medicine Pharmacogenetics Data Collection Health Equity Public Policy
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