You Should Actually Know What 'Pharmacogenetics' Is

Each individual is unique. Just as no two people have the same fingerprints, no two individuals have the exact same metabolism. These variations affect how the body breaks down medications, and can be identified by testing for certain metabolic factors. Having access to pharmacogenetic data can help support a patient-centric benefit plan, reduce adverse drug reactions, and help reduce medical expenses.

The impact of metabolic variation is well known in a number of drugs, and that number is growing. Warfarin, a common blood-thinner, provides an excellent example. Differences in metabolism can affect how well the drug is processed in the liver, and what effect the drug will have on the body’s production of vitamin K. The drug’s FDA-approved label recommends using pharmacogenetic information when available to adjust dosage appropriately based on these factors.

It is vital to find the proper dosage for warfarin and similar drugs. After all, it is better to prevent serious complications than to attempt to deal with them after the fact. Patients who metabolize warfarin too quickly might receive no therapeutic benefit, leaving them at risk for heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening cardiovascular events. If they metabolize it too slowly, they may experience elevated levels of the drug in their body, raising the risk of a major or even fatal bleeding event.

Real World Impact of Pharmacogenetics Testing

Studies show that pharmacogenetic testing does work. It not only allows tailored prescribing that improves health outcomes, it also cuts down on costs. In one study published in the Journal of Medical Economics, the use of pharmacogenetic testing lowered the frequency of hospital visits by roughly one third for senior patients taking more than one medication. It also reduced the frequency of emergency room visits by more than two thirds. Of the providers whose patients participated in the study, 95% found the testing to be helpful.

Another study, available through the National Institutes of Health, found that pharmacogenetic testing could save $3,962 per year, per patient, when used to guide medication management for individuals diagnosed with depression. Pharmacogenetic testing may also improve adherence to prescribed medication for patients with difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders.

Annual medical costs for certain patient populations may run as much as $5,188 more per year in the absence of pharmacogenetic testing to determine optimal treatments compared to situations when pharmacogenetic data was applied. Research suggests that as much as 65% of some patient populations could be exposed to medications with known pharmacogenetic factors tied to adverse drug events. These adverse events, with properly implemented pharmacogenetic testing, can in many cases be avoided.

Pharmacogenetics continues to develop rapidly, and every secret researchers unlock puts more power in our hands to prevent adverse drug reactions, reduce wasted time and expense on trial-and-error prescribing, and avoid unnecessary hospital stays and emergency room visits. Ultimately, pharmacogenetics did not help Pythagoras in his own time. Today, it has the potential to save lives, and reduce the $200 billion America wastes each year on inappropriate and unnecessary prescribing.

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Jennifer Fuhrmann-Berger, Pharm.D., is senior vice president of clinical services at BeneCard PBF, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.