by brant bullard | Apr 21, 2014 | Metabolic Validation Program
In what ways can a doctor use pharmacogenetics to help treat their patients?
Pharmacogenetics can be used by doctors to identify the optimal dose and/or medicine for each patient.
The right dose
Dosage is usually based on factors such as age, weight, and liver and kidney function. But for someone who breaks down a drug quickly, a typical dose may be ineffective. In contrast, someone who breaks down a drug more slowly may need a lower dose to avoid accumulating toxic levels of the drug in the bloodstream. A pharmacogenetic test can help reveal the right dose for individual patients.
The right drug—for depression
Depression can be treated with a variety of different medicines, and it is often time-consuming and difficult to find the drug(s) that works best for each person. In the future, genetic testing may take some of the guesswork out of choosing a drug regimen. These tests are likely to involve analyzing a person’s liver enzymes, especially those in the cytochrome P450 family, which are largely responsible for processing antidepressants.
The right drug—for cardiovascular disease
Statins, the most widely prescribed drugs worldwide, help prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing the level of “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream. While statins work well for many patients, responses are highly variable and doctors must adjust the dosage for each person.
Researchers have discovered that variants in a number of molecules—including those that break down or transport statins, as well as the statins’ molecular target in the cholesterol production pathway—contribute to the variable response among individuals. Using results of genetic tests, doctors may one day be able to prescribe the right dose from the start and more quickly reduce their patients’ risk of dangerous cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.
For more information on pharmacogenetic testing, contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
405-509-5112
info@pgxmed.com
www.pgxmed.com
Source: www.nigms.nih.gov
by brant bullard | Apr 6, 2014 | Metabolic Validation Program
Are you doing everything you can to provide the best healthcare and personalized care for your residents?
In a recent article on Senior Housing Forum, the author states, “From my perspective this is a win-win opportunity for every senior community, every resident and every physician. Better healthcare for your residents, reduced drug costs and a unique marketing tool for your communities.”
So let me ask you, if you could offer your residents personalized medicine that would improve their quality of life, would you do it?
Pharmacogenetics isn’t new but it is just now gaining the attention of healthcare professionals – especially in senior communities where the majority of residents are on multiple medications.
What makes this work in senior communities is that medicare and many senior HMO’s realize that this tool will save them money so they will cover the “once in a lifetime” test. The PGx Metabolic Validation Program has demonstrated that 25%-40% of residents would benefit from the test and be treated with a different medication based on Metabolic Validation.
The PGx Metabolic Validation Program is simple. On the physicians orders, a quick swab is taken of the inside of the resident’t mouth. Once the swab is analyzed and a report is generated, the physician can treat that resident on a personal basis. The report allows physicians to know which classes of drugs will be most effective, and the data can also provide guidance on dosage.
This test is no different than any other lab work and is kept in the residents file to help improve their quality of life and decrease the “trial & error” process. Which makes it very accepting for families and a unique marketing tool for homes. Better care and personalized attention.
For more information, or to schedule an implementation meeting, contact:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
info@pgxmed.com
405-509-5112
www.pgxmed.com
by brant bullard | Apr 5, 2014 | Metabolic Validation Program
So here is the scenario:
Your residents are seen by their physicians who then prescribe medications based on that resident’s signs and symptoms and the drugs do what they are supposed to do right?
Real Life
It turns out in real life it is not that simple because not all drugs or classes of drugs are metabolized the same with the same effectiveness in all people. What this means is that you could have two residents with the same signs and symptoms, the same lab values and the same doctor and yet for one resident the medication works great and the other not so great or in some cases not at all.
In fact it is likely that right now in your skilled nursing community or assisted living community some significant percentage of your residents are taking medications that are either not working at all or not working as well as they should.
Why this is Important to you and your residents
- The resident, their family and your staff assume a medication is working when it may not be working. This could mean delays in getting prescribing an effective drug or even worse a substantial degradation of a residents health
- Money and time is wasted on sub-optimal medications during “trial and error” process
- Prescribing the wrong medication means extra physician visits and laboratory costs
- Skilled nursing communities get tagged for not meeting psychotropic drug reduction targets
Solving the Problem
Until PGx Medical reached out to me I confess I was ignorant to both the problem and by extension that there is a cool, painless, easy and cost effective solution to the problem. It turns out there is a simple painless genetic test called Metabolic Validation that gives physicians the guidance they need to validate existing drug regiments are the best for each resident and for prescribing the right medications individually, metabolically.
The test involves taking a simple quick swab of the inside of a resident’s mouth. The swab is analyzed and a report is generated for each resident that allows physicians to know which classes of drugs will be most effective. The data can also provide guidance on dosage.
The Cost – The Cost – The Cost
What makes doing this in your skilled nursing or assisted living community really cool is that Medicare and many Senior HMO’s have figured out that doing this test is both good for residents and can save buckets of money which is why they will cover the cost of the test (once in a lifetime, because Metabolic Validation is a DNA test). The testing done through PGx has demonstrated that 25% – 40% of residents would be better served with a different medication based on Metabolic Validation.
What Metabolic Validation ultimately does is provide a definitive answer to this question:
Does this medication have a realistic chance of being therapeutic for this resident based on their metabolic profile?
From my perspective this is a win-win opportunity for every senior community, every resident and every physician. Better healthcare for your residents, reduced drug costs and a unique marketing tool for your communities. You can learn more about Metabolic Validation at the PGX website, or by calling 405-509-5112 or email info@pgxmed.com to request more information.
Read full article at Senior Housing Forum
by brant bullard | Mar 26, 2014 | Metabolic Validation Program
At PGx Medical, our goal is to assist clients with our unique tools and programs to determine how to best incorporate and implement Pharmacogenetic testing within their clinic, company, pharmacy and center.
You like the program and you see the benefit of personalized medicine – but what does it cost?
Money and time is wasted on the “trial and error” process. And patient quality of life suffers in the interim. Poor metabolizers mean extra physician visits, laboratory and medication costs.
The PGx Metabolic Validation Program has demonstrated that 25%-40% of residents would be better served with a different medication based on Metabolic Validation. So the money saved by this “once in a lifetime test” is reason why many coverage types are reimbursing the cost.
While there isn’t a standard answer to the question of cost, what we do know is this program is definitely a cost saving long-term to both the patient and the provider. But more importantly, it improves the quality of life.
The PGx Metabolic Validation Program is currently implemented in hundreds of medical clinics and homes across the country. And our clients have confirmed…
- Helps reduce costs and improve care.
- Helps decrease the number of “unnecessary drugs” based on individual patient metabolic validation.
- And most importantly, helps deliver the most precise, personalized, validated level of therapy and care for each of the patients tested.
If you would like to learn more about how you can implement this cost saving program in your facility, or you would like more information on the program, contact us at:
PGx Medical
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
Info@pgxmed.com
www.pgxmed.com
405-509-5112
by brant bullard | Mar 6, 2014 | Metabolic Validation Program
Facts: Older Adults and Medicine Use
- Older adults comprise 13 percent of the population, but account for 34 percent of all prescription medicine use and 30 percent of all over-the-counter (OTC) drug use.
- Most older adults — 4 out of 5 — live with one or more chronic conditions.
- Many take multiple medicines at the same time. A recent survey of 17,000 Medicare beneficiaries found that 2 out of 5 patients reported taking five or more prescription medicines.
- Older adults are at increased risk of serious adverse drug events, including falls, depression, confusion, hallucinations and malnutrition, which are an important cause of illness, hospitalization and death among these patients.
- Drug-related complications have been attributed to the use of multiple medicines and associated drug interactions, age-related changes, human error and poor medical management (e.g., incorrect medicines prescribed, inappropriate doses, lack of communication and monitoring).
- Almost 40% of seniors are unable to read prescription label, and 67% are unable to understand information given to them.
Reference: Mustforseniors
For information on the PGx Metabolic Validation Program, contact:
PGx Medical
info@pgxmed.com
405-509-5112
Individualized Care – Personalized Medicine
