Penn Medicine offers pharmacogenetics counseling and testing to individuals who are not responding to medication regimens or who are experiencing adverse side effects. We can also assist with pharmacogenetic test interpretation for patients who have had testing performed elsewhere. This novel clinical approach not available anywhere else within the Philadelphia region.
What is Pharmacogenetics?
Pharmacogenetics is the study of how an individual’s genetic makeup influences the response to different medications. Currently, not all medications will work and respond properly for every patient. Pharmacogenetics testing allows patients insight into how genetic variants impact a person’s response to drugs. Some patients may experience side effects while others may not feel any therapeutic benefits, despite being prescribed the same medication and dose. It is important to know that other factors, such as age, lifestyle and drug-drug interactions, will change how you respond to medications.
Pharmacogenetics Testing at Penn
At Penn, patients will meet for 30 minutes with a pharmacist and genetic counselor to review the current and past medications, review testing results, and discuss recommendations about any medications that should be avoided based on the genetic test results. Medical Genetics staff will work with the patient's insurance to evaluate coverage and discuss payment options.
Drugs that are often tested for:
- Abacavir
- Allopurinol
- Amitriptyline
- Atazanavir
- Atomoxetine
- Azathioprine
- Capecitabine
- Carbamazepine
- Citalopram
- Clopidogrel
- Codeine
- Desflurane
- Efavirenz
- Enflurane
- Escitalopram
- Fluorouracil
- Fluvoxamine
- Halothane
- Irinotecan
- isoflurane
- Ivacaftor
- Mercaptopurine
- Methoxyflurane
- Nortiptyline
- Ondansetron
- Oxcarbazepine
- Oxycodone
- Paroxetine
-
Phenytoin
-
Rasburicase
-
Ribavirin
-
Sevoflurane
-
Simvastatin
-
Succinylcholine
-
Tacrolimus
-
Tamoxifen
-
Thioguanine
-
Tramadol
-
Tropisetron
-
Voriconazole
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