With the uncertainty about how you might respond to the medication you have been prescribed, the trial and error process of finding the right medication can sometimes feel like a game of chance. As every person’s genetic makeup is unique, it is hard for doctors to predict if the medication they are prescribing you is the perfect fit. Providers sometimes base it on experience with other patients and data from big pharma.
Through medication response testing, pharmacogenetics can better guide a patient’s medication choices.
Pharmacogenetics can Lead to More Accurate Medication Prescription
To provide some background on pharmacogenetics, it is essentially the study of how your genes affect your response to medications. Your genes determine many factors like your hair color and blood type. They are also responsible for how your body processes medication. Your genotype – a person’s unique combination of genes – determines that response, which is why you might have more or less severe side effects from medication as compared to someone else. With the analysis of this data, pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing allows medical providers to make more accurate, calculated medication treatment plans for their patients. It is especially beneficial for individuals who take multiple medications or are not responding well to medication treatment.
Right Application of Pharmacogenetics for Maximum Utility
The key to the maximum utility of pharmacogenetics and its benefits in healthcare is having your provider use this powerful tool in applying it to your treatment plan. Pharmacogenetics testing can help medical professionals select the optimal medication, adjust dosages of the medication, and predict if a certain medication will have adverse side effects for their patients.
Types of Medication the Medication Response Test Is Used For
Cardiovascular: Many therapies used for the treatment of heart conditions like hypertension, stroke, or arrhythmia can be affected by how the patient’s body metabolizes certain cardiovascular drugs including antiplatelets, statins, anticoagulants, and beta-blockers.
Psychiatric: Healthcare providers often have no choice but to resort to trial and error, which can slow the process of relieving symptoms for the patient. Psychiatric drugs such as SSRIs and others used to treat depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder can be evaluated against your genetic makeup to predict how your body will react and the risk of side effects.
Get Your Medication Response testing Done with ClarityX
If you would like to have testing done to find the right medication for your condition, ClarityX offers easily accessible in-home testing kits for you. We offer Mindwell genetic testing for medications covering a wide range of mental health conditions. We also offer Max Rx that tests for medications covering additional areas including cardiovascular, diabetes, gastrointestinal, gynecology, sleeping disorder agents, pain medications, and many others!
