by PGx Medical | Apr 5, 2018 | Uncategorized
Antidepressants are an unusual class of drugs that often take multiple tries to ensure a patient receives the right medication, at the right dosage, and with few if any, side effects.
Pharmacogenomics helps eliminate “trial and error” when treating depression
When it comes to depression, as a provider, you don’t have a lot of time to experiment. You want to help your patient as quickly as possible get the relief they need to start living a normal life again. But depression medications are tricky. Sometimes it takes three or four medications for weeks at a time to find one that works for that patient. In the meantime, the depression is still there, and sometimes worse due to the side effects of the drugs you are trying.
Wouldn’t it be much easier to know for sure that a medication “fits” that patients genetic profile? This does multiple things.
- It eliminates the “trial and error” process. The old way to prescribe meds – let’s try this drug for 3-4 weeks and if it doesn’t work, come back and we’ll try something else.
- Let’s the provider know if there is a chance for drug-on-drug interactions potentially saving a trip to the hospital or worse, harmful side effects.
- By knowing what medication works for each unique individual, it helps the patient get better, quickly, which is the end goal.
Getting patients off a non-successful drug and then trying another one just lengthens the amount of time a patient has difficulty coping and returning to normal day-to-day activities.
Pharmacogenomics is changing that. This simple swab of the cheek can help guide healthcare professionals in proper prescribing. This test gives us hope not only for current medications but also gives providers a roadmap for future medications.
For more information on pharmacogenetic testing, or to schedule an educational webinar or speaker for your next meeting or conference, contact PGx Medical, 405-509-5112 or email info@pgxmed.com.
by PGx Medical | Mar 28, 2018 | Uncategorized
Diagnostic testing is becoming faster and more cost-effective in healthcare
Precision Medicine:
Diagnostic Testing of the Future
Personalized medicine is rapidly advancing, according to an article in sanvada.com. This technology allows for custom treatment according to a patient’s DNA. Personalized medicines in 2015 accounted for forty-two percent of every drug in development. When discerning optimal treatment for a person, Precision treatment utilizes diagnostic tests as well as the patient’s family and personal histories of health.
Along with the creation of quicker diagnostic testing, medical providers will make faster adjustments to treatment while providing positive outcomes; this would provide potential noticeable reductions with treatment.
PGx Medical is the trusted and experienced resource for the implementation of molecular diagnostic testing in the field of aging services. These tests align current and future medications with each person’s unique genetic profile. Our process impacts quality by addressing top clinical concerns such as falls, dementia, sleep, pain, med management and overall staff efficiencies.
For more information, contact PGx Medical at 405-509-5112 or email info@pgxmed.com
by PGx Medical | Jan 31, 2018 | Uncategorized
Welcome to Part One of a two-part series of BabyBoomers in Action!
Jim McWhirter, owner of Wellington Parke Retirement Community and host of BabyBoomers in Action, sits down with Dr. Rafael Justiz, Oklahoma Pain Physicians and Clay Bullard, President of PGx Medical to discuss how your DNA can help determine the right medicine for your unique genetic profile, via pharmacogenetics testing.
For more information on pharmacogenetics testing:
Oklahomapainphysicians.com
PGxmed.com
by PGx Medical | Jan 9, 2018 | Uncategorized
Drugs are widely used and highly effective in the treatment of heart disease. Nevertheless, in some instances, even drugs effective in a population display lack of efficacy or adverse drug reactions in individual patients, often in an apparently unpredictable fashion. ~ncbi
Drugs used to treat cardiovascular conditions are among the most widely prescribed therapies worldwide. So what if they aren’t working? What if your body doesn’t have the ability to metabolize them the way the drug manufacturer intended? When would you find out?
Unfortunately, in some cases, you may not know your medication isn’t working until you have a cardiac event.
Now you can use a simple tool called pharmacogenetics and know if your body can metabolize critical cardio medications including clopidogrel, warfarin, simvastatin and other statins.
A number of providers are using pharmacogenetics testing as a ‘preemptive’ approach in which multiple genotypes relevant to the action of many drugs are inserted in electronic medical record systems long before the specific drugs such as clopidogrel, warfarin or tacrolimus are prescribed. By being proactive, you can help in long-term patient care and not only use patient-specific information for medications they are taking today but use pharmacogenetics testing as a roadmap for the future.
Pharmacogenetics is being used in clinics, pharmacies, and long-term care communities across the country. By being proactive and leaving the “trial and error” way of prescribing behind, the future of healthcare has some exciting changes ahead and patients are going to see more personalized care and patient-centered decisions being made concerning their individual health.
For more information on implementing pharmacogenetics, or to schedule a free educational webinar, contact: PGx Medical, info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112.
source: ncbi.com
by PGx Medical | Jan 3, 2018 | Uncategorized
Pharmacogenetics has been around for decades but is moving to the forefront in the medical industry due to the opportunity it provides to improve prescribing safety and efficacy.
Pharmacogenetics: Moving forward in 2018
So where is it headed?
Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is the study of inherited genetic differences in drug metabolic pathways which can affect individual responses to drugs, both in terms of therapeutic effect as well as adverse effects.
More and more healthcare professionals are turning to pharmacogenetics to help guide them in proper prescribing. Driving this trend are the 106,000 deaths and 2.2 Million serious events caused by adverse drug reactions in the US each year.
So why isn’t pharmacogenetics more prevalent in the U.S.?
Some say it is due to cost. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) reimburse for the test because they see it as a “cost savings” long term. According to a study in ncbi.com, economic evaluation studies show that PGx has a positive impact on health-care quality and costs.
Pharmacogenetics, or personalized medicine, plays an important role in the field of aging services. Approximately 44% of men and 57% of women older than age 65 take five or more medications per week; about 12% of both men and women take 10 or more medications per week. This includes both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
This is known as polypharmacy, Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications concurrently by a patient and is most common in the elderly. The most worrisome consequence of polypharmacy is the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), but increased drug costs and patient quality of life are also a concern. Among older adults, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) due to medication can be very serious, including falls, depression, confusion, hallucinations, and malnutrition.
So what can we do to help prevent polypharmacy and the long-term health effects and costs of polypharmacy?
Education is the key. Educating physicians, pharmacists and all healthcare providers on the benefits, both health and financial in implementing pharmacogenetics into their day-to-day patient care. Knowing what each individual patient can, and cannot metabolize properly “before” trying the old trial and error method of prescribing can save time, money and lives. As a patient, you deserve to know and choose what is available for your healthcare options. That’s why patient-centered care is a top priority in 2018.
If the use of personalized medicine is widely adopted and used, it will make medical trials more efficient. It can lower the costs due to adverse drug side effects and prescription of drugs that have been proven ineffective in certain genotypes.
For more information on pharmacogenetics, contact PGx Medical, info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112.
source: ncbi.com, medscape.com, wikipedia.com
