Wouldn’t it be helpful to know if a medication was going to work before you took it?
With Pharmacogenomics,
now you can!
Ever wonder why some medications work better — or worse — for you than for a family member or friend? The answer lies in Pharmacogenomics!
Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is the study of a person’s genes to identify changes that will affect how their bodies process medications. A medication that helps one person may be harmful for another, just based on the smallest difference in their genes.
Why do People Respond Differently to Certain Medications?
Our genes are made of DNA. Just as genes help determine our eye or hair color, they also play a role in how each person’s body responds to medications. Certain genes help break down and process drugs. A change (also called a “variant”) in one of these genes can make your body process a drug in different ways.
If a medicine is broken down too quickly, the amount in a person’s body may be too low for it to work well. If it breaks down too slowly, the amount of medicine in a person’s body could build up causing an uncomfortable side effect. On rare occasions, certain changes in these genes can cause a serious reaction. If your healthcare provider understands these changes, you can be given the right medication or right dose that will work the best for you with the fewest side effects.
By looking for changes in certain genes, your PGx test can predict how your body responds to or metabolizes specific drugs.
Your body’s response may be described by one of the following:
No function
Your body may be unable to process the drug
Poor metabolizer (poor function)
Your body may process the drug very slowly
Intermediate metabolizer
Your body may process the drug slowly
Normal function
Your body should process the drug normally
Rapid metabolizer (increased function)
Your body may process the drug quickly
Ultrarapid metabolizer
Your body may process the drug very quickly
Uncertain
Your body’s expected response to the drug is unclear
Does PGx Testing Benefit You?
Your personalized PGx results will help your doctors:
Improve drug efficacy
Your doctors can select drugs more likely to work well for you.
Reduce adverse side effects
Your doctors can know in advance to avoid selecting a potentially harmful medication, or medications that shouldn’t be taken together, which reduces your chance for unwanted side effects.
Select the best dose
Your doctors can determine how much and how often you should take a medication to avoid ineffective underdosing or toxic overdosing.
What does this mean for you?
Better symptom relief
Peace of mind knowing you're taking the right medication for you
Fewer trips to the doctor for medication changes
Avoid taking a medication that could harm you
We Make Your Data Privacy Our Top Priority
- We will NEVER disclose any genetic or personal data to employers, insurance companies, public databases, or third-party marketers without your explicit consent — you have complete control over how your information is used and who it is shared with.
- We maintain a robust data security program, adhering to strict industry data protection standards. All sensitive information is encrypted, and regular assessments are conducted to detect and address security vulnerabilities and threats.
- We do not divulge individual-level personal information to law enforcement unless compelled by a court order, subpoena, search warrant, or other legally valid requests. Your privacy is our commitment.
For more information on your rights and our responsibilities regarding your private health information, please read our Notice of Privacy.
Pharmacogenomics: Credibility by the Numbers
Use of genetic tests to guide drug choices is becoming more common and is growing in reliability and importance each day. Studies have shown:
of people have gene variants that change how their body reacts to medicine1
Notable Milestones in Pharmacogenomics Discovery and Evolution
See how early knowledge of genes and medicine connected to become the study of Pharmacogenomics — a safe tool for better medication management for you!
- Swen JJ, van der Wouden CH, Manson LE, et al; Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics Consortium. A 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel to prevent adverse medication reactions: an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomized crossover implementation study. Lancet. 2023;
- Auwerx C, Sadler MC, Reymond A, et al. From pharmacogenetics to pharmaco-omics: Milestones and future directions. HGG Ad Brixner D, Biltaji E, Bress A, Unni S, Ye X, Mamiya T, et al. The effect of pharmacogenetic profiling with a clinical decision support tool on healthcare resource utilization and estimated costs in the elderly exposed to polypharmacy. J Med Econ. 2016;19:213–28.
- Zhang L, Jacobson PA, Johnson ANK, et al. Public Attitudes toward Pharmacogenomic Testing and Establishing a Statewide Pharmacogenomics Database in the State of Minnesota. J Pers Med. 2022 Sep 30;12(10):1615. doi: 10.3390/jpm12101615.
