Clinical Insight Psychology Basics : 5 Things Everyone Should Know Key Highlights * Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior, using research to understand our actions. * Understanding psychology basics can fundamentally improve your self-awareness and relationships. * The field relies on scientific methods, moving beyond common sense to explain human behavior empirically. * Various psychological theories (like cognitive and behavioral) Read
Clinical Insight Treating Comorbid Depression & Anxiety: A Guide to PGx Testing In clinical practice, a standalone diagnosis of "depression" or "anxiety" is increasingly rare. Far more common is the patient who presents with a constellation of overlapping symptoms: the persistent dread and worry of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) combined with the anhedonia and profound sadness of Major Read
Clinical Insight Leveraging PGx Reports to Enhance Patient Adherence and Collaborative Care As clinicians, we’ve all been there. You diagnose a patient, prescribe the first-line, evidence-based medication, and schedule a follow-up. When the patient returns, you discover they took the medication for three days, experienced a side effect they read about on the internet, and stopped. Or perhaps they never even Read
Clinical Insight How Pharmacogenetics Can Proactively Mitigate Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) As clinicians, we are all too familiar with the conversation: a patient, started on a first-line agent, returns in two weeks complaining of debilitating nausea, brain fog, or insomnia. The medication so effective in clinical trials has failed, not because of its mechanism, but because of its side effects. This Read
Clinical Insight The Pharmacist’s Role: Integrating PGx Data into Medication Therapy Management As the most accessible healthcare providers and the undisputed medication experts, pharmacists are at the center of modern patient care. The goal of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is to fulfill this role to its highest potential: optimizing drug therapy, improving adherence, and preventing adverse events. In practice, this often means Read
Clinical Insight Beyond Metabolism: Understanding a Patient's Individual Metabolic Capacity Before Prescribing For decades, the standard of care for prescribing new medication, especially in mental health, has been "start low, go slow." A patient presents with anxiety, and the provider prescribes a first-line SSRI. Then comes the waiting game of four to six weeks of hoping for relief, all while Read
Clinical Insight Integrating PGx Testing to Enhance Clinical Confidence and Reduce Patient Risk In modern medicine, the pressure on clinicians has never been greater. Patient complexity is increasing, time is always limited, and the demand for evidence-based, personalized care is the new benchmark. While we have more therapeutic options than ever, the fundamental challenge of prescribing remains: how can we be confident that Read
Clinical Insight The MTHFR Question: An Evidence-Based Guide for Clinicians on Folate Metabolism and Medication Response It’s a question more clinicians are hearing in their practice: “I think I have the MTHFR mutation. What does that mean for my health?” Driven by direct-to-consumer genetic testing and online health forums, patients are increasingly aware of the MTHFR gene. While this awareness can lead to confusion, it Read
Clinical Insight Precision in Pediatrics: Using Pharmacogenetics to Safely Navigate Psychiatric Prescribing for Children & Adolescents Prescribing psychiatric medication for a child or adolescent is one of the most considered decisions a clinician can make. The responsibility is immense, and the process is often fraught with uncertainty for providers, parents, and the young patients themselves. Unlike in adult medicine, you are working with a developing system Read
Clinical Insight Navigating Polypharmacy: How Genetic Testing Can De-Risk Prescribing for Patients on Multiple Medications For any clinician managing patients with co-morbid conditions, polypharmacy is the norm. It’s a delicate balancing act of therapeutic goals, but each new prescription added to the regimen increases the risk of a cascade of negative outcomes: drug-drug interactions, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and therapeutic failures. Standard interaction checkers Read
Clinical Insight Poor Metabolizer vs. Ultra-Rapid: A Clinician's Guide to PGx-Informed Dosing Strategies The clinical mantra of "start low, go slow" has long guided prescribing, but it's an approach born from necessity, not precision. It’s a tacit acknowledgment that patients metabolize medications at vastly different rates. What if you could know a patient's metabolic capacity before Read
Clinical Insight Precision Over Guesswork: The Clinical Value of PGx Testing for Medication Matching Introduction As a provider, you understand that every patient responds differently to treatment—especially when it comes to medications. Whether managing depression, anxiety, ADHD, chronic pain, or cardiovascular conditions, the challenge remains the same: finding the right medication at the right dose, without unnecessary trial and error. Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing Read
Clinical Insight Leveraging ClarityX® Clinical Pharmacists for Confident Prescribing Introduction Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing delivers powerful insights—but interpreting those insights and translating them into patient care decisions can sometimes raise some questions, especially for providers new to PGx. At ClarityX®, we believe clinical support shouldn’t end when the report is delivered. That’s why every provider who orders Read
Clinical Insight ClarityX® vs. Insurance Labs: Choosing the Better Path for PGx Testing Introduction When it comes to pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing, the provider’s intent is simple: identify the right medication for the patient based on their genetic profile. But the path to achieving that goal can vary dramatically depending on the lab you choose. If you’ve ever ordered a PGx test Read
Clinical Insight Identifying Ideal Candidates for Pharmacogenetic (PGx) Testing Introduction: Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing is a valuable clinical tool—but knowing when to use it and with whom is just as important as understanding how it works. Many providers recognize the benefits of personalized prescribing but aren’t always sure which patients will benefit most from PGx testing. This insight Read