FAQs

Pharmacogenomics, sometimes abbreviated as PGx, analyzes how a patient's unique genetic makeup affects how their body processes certain medications that interact with your receptors. Some people's genes mean they make more or fewer drug-processing enzymes, or that their receptors work differently. This can change how well a medication works, or whether it causes side effects.

For example, if a patient is prescribed Zoloft (sertraline), their PGx test might reveal that they metabolize it too quickly, making the drug less effective at standard doses. Without PGx testing, their doctor may have to try multiple medications and dosages before finding one that works -- a process that can take months or even years.

• Safer prescribing by identifying how a person's genetic makeup influences the metabolism of drugs, thereby reducing the chance of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) which cause thousands of ER visits and hospitalizations each year.
• More effective treatment by being able to prescribe the right drug and dosage the first time. This is especially valuable for conditions like depression, anxiety, pain management and cardiovascular disease, where response rates to first-line meds are often low.
• Faster time to relief by prescribing a more optimal treatment; less time suffering.
• Reduced ER visits, hospitalizations and wasted prescriptions. Employers and insurance companies benefits from a reduced Total Cost of Care.
• Personalized and Reusable Insights because…PGx results don't change. Once a patient has their PGx profile, it can be used for future prescribing for life. PointHealth can store your results in our secure genomic data vault, so it's easy for you to share your profile with your healthcare team as needed.

A saliva-based pharmacogenomic (PGx) test is a simple, non-invasive way to learn how your genes may affect how your body processes certain medications.

Here's what happens:

A PGx test:

• Does NOT diagnose diseases
• Does NOT tell you which medications will work 100% of the time; it only gives your physician guidance for safer, more effective options.

The testing process from start to finish will be approximately 10-14 business days:

In most cases, yes, a licensed healthcare provider must order the PGx test for you.

This is because:

• A PGx test is considered a clinical lab test (CLIA-regulated) and interpreting your results correctly usually requires a doctor, pharmacist or genetic counselor.
• Some states have laws that specifically require a provider's order for genetic testing.
• Many insurance plans (and Medicare) require a physician's order to cover the price of the test.

The good news is that most PGx programs make it easy -- including PointHealth's -- because we have partnered with physicians and CLIA-regulated labs to prescribe your test. A clinically ordered PGx test is analyzed in a certified lab and linked to FDA and CPIC guidelines, so you and your doctor can use the information to safely guide your treatment.

In the metabolism of drugs, an individual can be classified in one of five categories (metabolism genotype) for each gene, based on the activity of these pharmacogenomic proteins as defined by the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC):

If you choose to link your Electronic Health Record from EPIC/MyChart, you will receive additional insights from our reinforcement learning AI model. This is not required, however, and you will still receive your relevant PGx results.

The introduction of PGx testing + AI will streamline solutions for patients everywhere, eliminating the need for troubleshooting and guesswork in prescribing. You are helping to influence the future of healthcare with PointHealth!

No. Each human has over 30,000 genes in their DNA. The current PGx test looks at a very small portion of those (20-40, depending on type of PGx test used). Specifically, PGx looks only for variations in your genes that affect how your body processes medications.

The Food and Drug Administration has pharmacogenomic information listed in the package labeling of over 250 medications.

Only those to whom you've explicitly granted permission outside of PointHealth AI.

No, this is optional, and it is only available if you are a patient that uses the EPIC/MyChart Electronic Health Record (EHR). If you are a MyChart user and you do opt-in for sharing your medical history, you will receive the most comprehensive report that PointHealth can provide.

If you are a MyChart user, you have the option of linking your EHR data to PointHealth's AI engine. Our AI-enabled model will scan your history, run it through our database to identify your 10,000 closest "digital twins" based on age, race, gender, etc. and provide a more detailed PGx recommendation report by combining PGx, EHR data and Artificial Intelligence!

Our long-term vision at PointHealth is to have Clinics and Health Systems using our Clinical Decision Support tool right at the point of care in a clinical setting. You are helping PointHealth bring this cost-saving solution to a broader audience. In a clinical setting, our results are returned within 10 seconds to your EHR. There will be no need for a physician to "swivel chair" to another system to view the PointHealth insights.

Yes, but only if you want us to do so. Once your PGx test is completed, your DNA won't change so your results will be relevant in your healthcare decisions in perpetuity. The DNA sample will be destroyed according to applicable laws and regulations, but we will keep your PGx data as long as you'd like. If you would like to delete your data from the PointHealth secure genomic vault, you may do so at any time.

At PointHealth, we take data security seriously. We follow industry best practices and comply with all relevant privacy regulations, including HIPAA, to protect sensitive personal and health information. Our systems are built with multiple layers of security, including:

We are committed to safeguarding your information and continuously improving our security practices as technologies and threats evolve.

You do. You may delete it at any time you'd like.

Absolutely! You will receive an email indicating your desire to delete the data and the confirmation of the data deletion.

PointHealth AI will never provide your data to an insurance company, but you are free to share with your insurer and/or healthcare provider if you'd like.

At PointHealth, we believe no one should endure the pain of trial-and-error healthcare. Imagine knowing the right treatment for a condition the first time – eliminating months or years of uncertainty.

That's the future we're building.

Combining genomics, advanced analytics, and AI, we empower providers to truly understand each patient as an individual – beyond symptoms and diagnoses. Focusing initially on Behavioral Health, we help patients resume their lives faster, with fewer setbacks. Because, behind every health condition is a person striving to feel whole again.

Our team is made up of seasoned professionals, entrepreneurs, technologists, risk managers, and patients…just like you. We aspire to bring our very best talents to healthcare, optimizing outcomes and reducing costs with leading-edge technology.

Join us on this journey.