Drug/diagnostic combinations as a legal defense?
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Neglecting to use companion diagnostics to improve drug therapy management may open a new market for malpractice lawyers, according to Stephen Little, CEO of Manchester, UK-based genotyping firm DxS Ltd. In London, addressing a recent conference on global diagnostic trends, Little claims "it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that if an individual is given a drug" without prescribing an available diagnostic to guide patient response, a lawsuit against the physician could follow in the case of adverse events. Conversely, diagnostics that can gauge predispositions to adverse events prior to treatment will help physicians avert malpractice threats, he says...