Pharmacogenetic Testing and Medication Management
May 16, 2024
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Picture PGx
A person’s medication journey can be a tribulation of trial and error – many patients may try multiple medications with little benefit, or with side effects that affect their daily lives. During the diagnosis and treatment process, people often react differently to medications and can experience negative side effects when the medication isn’t right for them. Then, queue repeating the process with a new set of medication(s).
Picture PGx uses pharmacogenetic testing to help individuals and their physicians identify medications they metabolize well, maximizing effectiveness and minimizing potential side effects.
Pharmacogenetics is a branch of personalized medicine that focuses on how the body metabolizes drugs based on unique genetic factors. The tests are conducted by using a sample of your saliva, blood, or cells swabbed from a cheek to analyze your DNA.
PGx testing screens for three main factors: toxicity, lack of efficacy, and hypersensitivity. What does this mean? Certain genetic variations may affect the metabolism of drugs in the body. Some variations may result in the drug being metabolized too quickly, while others may cause it to be metabolized too slowly. In some cases, even a normal dose of the drug can cause the body to react severely.
- Toxicity occurs when your body absorbs more of the drug than it’s supposed to.
- Lack of efficacy happens when the drug doesn’t work because your body can’t absorb it properly.
- Hypersensitivity is when your body absorbs a normal amount of the drug, but your body reacts severely to the normal dose.
There have been recent studies examining the potential of PGx testing to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs).1
Pharmacogenetic research is remarkable because it impacts almost everyone. With over 90% of individuals carrying at least one drug-reactive gene variant, many of the drugs affected are fairly common in fields such as oncology, psychiatry, cardiovascular health, and pain management.2 Understanding your personal pharmacogenetic profile can help you and your doctor with a proactive approach to medication management.
PGx has a broad applicability and can help manage various conditions and medications. Many common medications are affected by genetics; however, it's important to note that not all medications are influenced by genetics and/or have medical guidelines associated with genetics. There are also factors other than genetics that can influence how a person’s body processes their medications.
PGx testing is particularly beneficial in:
- Reducing side effects: Understanding how your body processes medications helps your doctor avoid ineffective drugs and unpleasant side effects.
- Improving treatment outcomes: PGx testing can help ensure that the medication works effectively for the intended purpose and that the proper dosages are prescribed by your physician.
- Personalized medicine approach: Promotes a personalized approach to medication management.
- Reduced cost: Testing for (and subsequently avoiding) ineffective medications has the potential to reduce the overall cost of medications.
Picture PGx can help your healthcare team make well-informed choices about your medications through pharmacogenetic testing. Picture Genetics is proud to offer an affordable, at-home test that analyzes your saliva sample to determine how your genes impact your body’s reaction to over 100 medications.
With Picture PGx, you will receive a detailed report from our clinically certified laboratory with clearly labeled results for each medication our analysis covers. While the list below includes a few example medications covered under Picture PGx, it is not an exhaustive list. The full list can be viewed here.
As research progresses, pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing will continue to play a prominent role in personalized medicine and improving doctor-patient communication. Further studies may allow PGx testing to cover a wider range of medications and broaden the test's applicability. This will enable more physicians to predict potential side effects and screen patients for drug responses before prescribing a new drug or therapy. Research could also influence the development of new medications tailored to individual genetic profiles. Although there is still much work that needs to be done, scientists are optimistic that personalized medicine will reach its full potential in the future.
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