Pharmacogenomic Testing (PGx)

What is it?

• This is a DNA test that can be helpful in identifying if the way your body metabolizes certain drugs is "different" from the average person of your age, sex, weight, etc.

Why would that matter?

• The way we metabolize drugs can change the way we react to drugs, both good and bad!​

• You can have a genetic difference or "variant" that will make you a poor, intermediate or ultra-rapid metabolizer of multiple drugs​​​

• This can cause you to experience severe side effects to medications that others do not OR prevent you from benefiting from particular medications or doses that are very beneficial for others  ​

  • For example:

    •  An ultrarapid metabolizer of the pain medication codeine may have a life-threatening overdose reaction to what would otherwise be considered a safe dose in someone without a gene variant 1

    • A poor metabolizer of Plavix (clopidogrel) is 30% more likely to have a major heart attack or stroke while taking Plavix - versus on an alternative medication that is metabolized differently 2 

• 99% of people have at least one genetic variant that could affect the way medications work for them ​

• 87% have 3 or more variants