Just because something is legal, doesn’t make it right. Just because we enjoy a right of free speech, doesn’t mean we should be verbally insulting people. Just because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a treatment or a test, doesn’t mean we should pursue it. The FDA has given approval to 23andMe, a private company, to provide genetic testing directly to individuals. The results provide genetic risks of contracting several medical conditions including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. No prescription or physician visit is needed. While 23andMe execs and marketers will undoubtedly claim that their mission is to empower the public, this does not tell the whole story. Indeed, many patients who undergo the testing will be worse for having done so. I would never submit to the 23andMe home testing program myself, nor would I counsel my patients to do so. It seems bizarre that the incredibly complex and nuanced medical issue of genetic risk
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.