The right medication for one person can be the wrong medication for another, and our genes can help explain why. In an episode of Varsity’s Roundtable Talk, Derek sat down with Dr. Troy Veale, CEO of PHD Laboratory; Lauren Bopp, a molecular biologist with PHD Laboratory; and Kiera DesChamps, founder of KD Consulting Group. Together, they brought scientific, healthcare and senior living perspectives to the growing use of pharmacogenetic, or PGx, testing to help personalize medication decisions.
In their conversation, Derek, Dr. Veale, Lauren and Kiera explored how PGx testing can identify medications that may work better based on an individual’s genetic makeup, why symptoms like confusion, dizziness and falls shouldn’t automatically be dismissed as part of aging, and how testing can give physicians another tool to move beyond trial-and-error prescribing.
Check out the full episode here.
WHAT IS PHARMACOGENETIC (PGx) TESTING, IN PLAIN ENGLISH?
PGx is a simple cheek swab that captures your DNA to help providers determine what medications may work best for a patient, what medications to be cautious of and what medications their body may not metabolize properly. It gives providers a guideline for prescribing medications based on a person’s genetic makeup. Not all medications work for everyone, and this technology can help us better understand which medications may be a good fit for each individual.
WHY IS PGx TESTING STILL RELATIVELY UNKNOWN, ESPECIALLY IN SENIOR LIVING?
The simple reason is education. A lot of providers aren’t aware of this technology, and a lot of people don’t know that it exists. It’s also something that many medical professionals didn’t study when they were in school.
Now the technology is here, but if they didn’t learn about it during their training, they may not know how to use it. I think as we continue educating providers and the public, more people will start utilizing it. We’re working with national organizations to bring more awareness to medication education while also trying to introduce this technology into senior living communities.
FOR SENIOR LIVING OPERATORS, HOW CAN PGx TESTING HELP BUILD TRUST WITH FAMILIES?
When I talk with senior living communities and operators, I always ask, what’s your brand? What’s your messaging? What are you saying to families? As an adult daughter with an 84-year-old mother, I want somebody who’s going to pay attention to her side effects and medications. That’s the peace of mind families are looking for.
It also has a lot to do with resident engagement, retention and hospitalizations. All those things matter to the bottom line as well. Families want to know their loved ones are being taken care of and have the opportunity to live healthy, happy lives.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT PGx TESTING IN A SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY?
It takes total buy-in. What’s worked for us is finding that person, whether it’s someone in sales and marketing talking to the provider or a family member who wants to bring the information to their loved one’s community. Sometimes you get that one pilot, one community or one person, and then you see the results. We want to follow up with that community or provider and ask whether they found interactions, made adjustments or saw improvements in quality of life. We’re here for the long haul. We want to be involved in the full process, from beginning to end, because it’s about total patient care.
