by brant bullard | Sep 18, 2015 | Metabolic Validation Program
Pharmacogenetic Testing is a tool to help decrease bad outcomes.
When educating Long Term Care and Assisted Living facilities, one common theme we hear is, “we don’t have a need” or “we will only test residents who have a need”. So who determines the residents that need it the most? How do you know that a memory care resident is getting the therapy needed to alleviate their pain? Or that a resident with behavorial problems is really just taking the wrong medications and they don’t even have the ability to metabolize them? That is the value of pharmacogenetic testing. Knowing from the inside out a persons genetic makeup.
For too long now, medication has been a guessing game. Let’s try a medication for a few weeks and if we don’t see a change, let’s try something else. Or even worse, let’s throw something else on top of that one and see if it helps. Adding a list of medications that may, or maynot be working.
Why not determine and “validate” up front the medications that work best for each individual and then proceed with a pharmaceutical regimen. A medical plan of action is what we like to call it. A proper med-effective dosage means less falls, less behavorial issues and a decrease risk of side effects.
Metabolic Validation, via pharmacogenetic testing is a great way to help your residents and has the potential to help maximize profitability due to the cost saving in medication and re-hospitalization.
At PGx Medical, it is our goal to help educate and implement this program in homes across the country. Our goal with LeadingAge, OFMQ, OAHCP and the OK Dept of Health – LTC Division is to help educate and share the message – Prevention Decreases Bad Outcomes.
For more information on pharmacogenetic testing, or to schedule a meeting with PGx Medical, contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
405-509-5112
info@pgxmed.com
by brant bullard | Sep 11, 2015 | Metabolic Validation Program
The PGx Medical Metabolic Validation Program, via pharmacogentic testing
At PGx Medical, our goal is to educate healthcare professionals across the country on the value and benefits of pharmacogenetic testing (PGx).
Pharmacogenetic testing can stop the “trail-and-error” or guessing by providing information about the metabolic phenotype of your patient that translates into a clinical action plan to guide your choice of therapy and dose.
Pharmacogenetic testing will help guide physicians to target treatment and medications to patient’s genetics. Allowing them to make more precise prescribing decisions. Right drug, right dose, right person.
This test is a great way to determine if medications are metabolizing in your body. It is “personalized” to fit your genetic make-up. It is a simple buccal swab, is reimbursed by medicare and can help guide healthcare professionals when dosing patients.
So why wouldn’t you test?
Clay Bullard, President of PGx Medical headquartered in Oklahoma said, “I hope more doctors will choose to test, particularly for the geriatric population.” By knowing a person’s genetic make-up you can eliminate the medications that don’t have the ability to metabolize in an individual. Saving money on unnecessary medications, possible adverse drug events and even hospitalization.
Bullard, who founded PGx Medical has a passion and a reason for starting the company. His wife’s physician recommended the test about 10 years ago. She wasn’t getting results from her rheumatoid arthritis treatment, and the doctor said the genetic screening could better determine which medicine would work well for her.
Bullard said there are other companies out there that offer the test. Most are toxicology labs that do this on the side. But this is all his company, PGx Medical does. “We concentrate on pharmacogenetic testing and we have consultants across the country that educate healthcare professionals. Since our test comes on a physicians authorization, we try and spend time educating the physicians and their staff prior to testing. That way you know the results are going to be implemented and outcomes are going to be better.”
PGx Medical has partnered with some of the leading healthcare organizations who understand the need for quality care in senior communities.
Pharmacogenetic testing isn’t new, and it isn’t going anywhere. As baby boomers age and healthcare cost continue to rise, eventually there will be a tipping point. “I am already talking to organizations across the country who see this as not only a way to improve quality of life, but also a way to help lower healthcare costs,” said Bullard.
For more information on Pharmacogenetic Testing, contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
405-509-5112
info@pgxmed.com
www.pgxmed.com
by brant bullard | Aug 31, 2015 | Metabolic Validation Program
PGx Medical analyzes clinically relevant genetic variants for 19 genes and receptor sites related to medication reponse.
The PGx Medical program, Metabolic Validation, via pharmacogenetic testing is a non-invasive buccal swab of the cheek that helps healthcare professionals customize prescribing decisions.
The test results are ready to view 48 hours from the date our lab receives the sample allowing clinicians to make proper prescribing decisions quickly and accurately for each individual patient.
Individual patient response to medications is influenced by genetic variation in the enzymes responsible for drug metabolism as well as targeted receptors and transporters. Variations in metabolism can cause life-threatening toxicity in one patient and reduce drug effectiveness in another.
Prescribing the right drug, and the right dose, for the right person. Individualized care tailored to fit each person moving beyond the trial and error process.
While the science behind each test is complex, the process for providing personalized medicine to each patient is designed to be simple.
For more information on identifying the best medications for your patients, contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
www.pgxmed.com
info@pgxmed.com
405-509-5112
by brant bullard | Aug 28, 2015 | Metabolic Validation Program
Personalized Medicine is a medical model that proposes the customization of healthcare – with medical decisions, practices, and/or products being tailored to the individual patient. ~wikipedia~
Personalized Medicine involves identifying genetic, genomic, and clinical information that allows accurate predictions to be made about a person’s genetic make-up and response to treatment. It is also known as pharmacogenetic tesing (PGx).
Is Personalized Medicine Only For People Who Are Sick Or With Symptoms?
Definitely not. Most healthcare professionals treat patients based on diagnosis and medications available to treat the diagnosis. But how do you know if a 75 year old resident in a memory care unit is getting the therapy they need?
By knowing how an individual can metabolize medications will help guide healthcare professionals when treating that individual and focus more on wellness and prevention of future medical events.
Avoiding Adverse Drug Events
According to a report from the U.S. Health and Human Services, over 770,000 people are injured or die each year in hospitals from adverse drug events (ADEs), which may cost up to $5.6 million each year per hospital. National hospital expenses to treat patients who suffer ADEs during hospitalization are estimated at between $1.56 and $5.6 billion annually. Patient injuries resulting from drug therapy are among the most common types of adverse events that occur in hospitals.
More than 80% of ADRs causing admission or occurring in hospital are type A (dose-related) in nature, and thus predictable from the known pharmacology of the drug and therefore potentially avoidable. ~ncbi.com~
The process of prescribing a medication is complex and includes: deciding that a drug is indicated, choosing the best drug, determining a dose and schedule appropriate for the patient’s physiologic status, monitoring for effectiveness and toxicity, educating the patient about expected side effects, and indications for seeking consultation. With Personalized Medicine, we call that, Right Drug, Right Dose, Right Person. And a simple buccal swab of the cheek can tell you what medications will work for that individual.
So Why Wouldn’t A Healthcare Professional Perform The Test On Patients With Medical Necessity?
Education is the key. The purpose of PGx testing is to determine the risk of side effects and/or likelihood of effectiveness of a given medication. Physicians are often asked about side effects of prescribed drugs and factors that may alter the effectiveness of a drug, and if PGx testing is an option, it should be part of that conversation. Educating healthcare professionals and patients that this test is a “drug response test” that will help healthcare professionals with proper prescribing to help save time (trial-and-error), cost (medications that don’t work) and more importantly help patients live a better quality of life.
Outcomes of PGx Testing
Pharmacogenetic test results are not only important for the drug which prompted the testing, but potentially for other drugs prescribed in the future. Therefore, test results can help inform other treatment decisions in the future.
For more information on Pharmacogenetic Testing, contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
info@pgxmed.com
405-509-5112
sources: ncbi.com, nih.com
by brant bullard | Aug 27, 2015 | Metabolic Validation Program
Are psychiatric medications really working?
Trial-and-error has been the approach for many years when prescribing medications. There are dozens of psychiatric medications that can be prescribed for depression, anxiety, ADHD and more. But how do we know the medications are really giving the patient the therapy they need?
What if doctors could know ahead of time based on a pharmacogenetic test if the medications even had the ability to work? What if they took the guess work out of it and found medications that would work the first time?
Research shows that after your first antidepressant prescription, 4 out of 5 people will experience little relief, if any at all, from their depressive symptons. Today, some healthcare professionals are prescribing medications randomly with no regard to your individual genetic makeup.
Pharmacogenetic testing isn’t a cure all. It is a guide to help healthcare professionals know what medications your body can metabolize to help give you the therapy you need.
So what’s the downside? Well, there really isn’t any. The test is 100% reimbursed by medicare B, medicaid and most private insurance companies (minus normal co-pays and deductibles). The PGx Medical test is back within 48 hours and is a once-in-a-lifetime test that is a simple buccal swab of the cheek. Better “personalized” care that can help improve your quality of life…and it’s paid for.
The only downside would be not doing the test and continuing the trial-and-error process. Then when another catastrophic event happens it is brought to light again. A cycle that we now have the ability to stop, or at least slow down. It’s about being proactive and owning our healthcare.
For more information on Pharmacogenetic Testing,
Contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
www.pgxmed.com
info@pgxmed.com
405-509-5112
by brant bullard | Jul 22, 2015 | Metabolic Validation Program
Are you considering implementing pharmacogenetics in your day-to-day patient care? If so, do your research.
As we travel across the country educating healthcare professionals on our PGx Medical Metabolic Validation Program, we hear over and over again about other companies in the market. Our response? We are grateful that healthcare professionals are taking the first step in learning more about pharmacogenetics and the benefits it will provide their patients and staff. And the long-term cost savings to the overall healthcare system. But, have they really done their homework and researched each company to find out what they provide? And most importantly, are they doing it in an ethical manor?
At PGx Medical, that’s all we do is pharmacogenetic testing. Our team of consultants are here to educate you on a tool that is available to help your patients live longer…better. We’re not here to tell you what you should do, or how you should treat your patients. We’re here to help you implement a program into your practice or home that will give you direction when dosing your patients. And that doesn’t always mean reducing medications – which could happen. But most importantly getting your patients on the “right” medications. Right drug, Right dose, Right person, that is our goal. And once testing is complete, we continue to maintenance the program so it is part of your day-to-day patient care.
But one of the biggest differences we hear over and over again is we give our clients the whole picture. At PGx Medical, we test 8 panels and report on 19 genes and receptor sites. Do we get reimbursed for all these genes? No. But we would only be giving you part of the puzzle if we only reported on the genes we are reimbursed on. Ask yourself, would you only treat a patient with subpar care? We wouldn’t either.
We also offer, free of charge, many services after testing that make it easy for your team to review results and make any necessary medication changes. Not to mention, our results are back within 48 hours from the time our laboratory receives your buccal swab sample. And when you are working in the LTC setting, or with geriatric patients, you can’t afford to wait two weeks for results.
We encourage our clients to do their research. Know who they are doing business with and know if a company offers them money in exchange for their services, it may not be legal and may be considered an inducement.
Just do your due diligence so that at the end of the day, you know, you are giving your patients/residents the best care possible and you are receiving all the necessary information to help you provide the best standard of care.
For more information on PGx Medical, contact one of our team members:
PGx Medical
Individulaized Care – Personalized Medicine
LeadingAge OK Partner
405-509-5112
info@pgxmed.com
