Finding the right medication for a patient can be a frustrating process of trial and error. If you’ve ever wondered why a medication works well for one person but not another, the answer might be in your genes. Pharmacogenomics (sometimes called PGx) is the study of how your DNA impacts the way your body responds to medicine. PGx testing helps doctors and pharmacists understand why your body processes drugs differently from someone else’s. They can also use this information to potentially find safer, more effective treatment options that work for you.
How Genetics Affects Medication Response
Your genes provide the instructions your body uses to make proteins, including the enzymes that break down medications. Differences, or genetic variations, can change how well those enzymes work. These genetic variations can cause you to be more or less sensitive to a drug and increase your risk of side effects. Here is a closer look at a few ways genetics can affect your response to medications.
You may metabolize drugs quickly.
For example, some people have a gene variant that makes them ultra-rapid metabolizers. If they take a pain medication like codeine, their body may convert it to morphine too fast, which can cause stronger side effects or even toxicity.
You may metabolize drugs slowly.
Other people process medications much more slowly. Some gene variants can prevent you from breaking down certain antidepressants and stomach acid medications efficiently. When this happens, the drug can build up in the body and increase side effects.
Your genes can affect the dosage or drug needed.
Genetic differences can also influence how your body’s receptors or transporters respond to medication. For example, certain blood thinner medications, like warfarin, can be less effective or require very precise dosing based on specific gene variants.
What Pharmacogenomic Testing Can Tell You
Pharmacogenomic testing (or PGx testing) is a simple way to learn more about how your body processes certain medications. It usually involves a cheek swab or saliva sample, which is sent to a lab for analysis. The test looks for known genetic variations that impact medication metabolism and response.
PGx testing results can help your healthcare provider:
- Choose the safest, most effective medication for you.
- Avoid unnecessary side effects, drug failure, and dangerous adverse reactions.
- Determine the best dosage for your genetic makeup.
- Identify medications that may not work well for you so you know before trying them.
Pharmacogenomic testing results don’t just apply to one medication. They can be used across your lifetime as your healthcare and medication needs change.
Who Can Benefit from PGx Testing?
Pharmacogenomic testing can be valuable for many people. PGx tests are becoming increasingly recommended to reduce trial-and-error prescribing in mental health, cardiology, pain management, oncology, and more. It may be especially useful if you:
- Have had unusual or particularly bad reactions to medications in the past.
- Have seen a lack of results from multiple psychiatric, pain, or cardiac medications.
- Take five or more prescriptions, including for chronic conditions.
- Are starting treatment for depression, anxiety, or pain, where genetic differences can strongly influence how well medications work.
- Have family members who’ve had strong side effects or poor responses to certain drugs.
- Want to take a more personalized approach to your healthcare.
For example, a patient struggling to find the right antidepressant may use pharmacogenomic testing to narrow options. PGx testing could help their provider select a medication that’s more likely to be effective with fewer side effects.
Find the Right Medication for You with Personalized Medicine
Pharmacogenomics is an exciting step toward truly personalized medicine. PGx enables treatment to go beyond symptoms and general guidelines, factoring in your unique genetic makeup to find the right medication. By understanding your genes, your doctors and healthcare team can make choices that help you feel better faster with fewer complications.
If you’d like to learn more about whether pharmacogenomic testing could be right for you, our genetics clinic can help. SequenceMD offers clinically validated PGx testing with expert result interpretation and actionable information for you and your care team. We collaborate with primary care, psychiatry, cardiology, pain, oncology, and pharmacy teams to deliver clear, concise reports and records that address your unique needs and concerns.
Interested in PGx testing?
Contact SequenceMD to find out how pharmacogenomic testing can help you or your loved ones take the guesswork out of medication management.
