GenePharmer, LLC is a healthcare consulting company with a mission to bring better medication outcomes to patients in Missouri and certain other states (see FAQs). Have you ever experienced a bad reaction to a medication, or taken a medication that did not seem to work? Have you ever been treated for a condition, such as depression or pain, and had to try several different medications to find one that helped you? Your genetics may be a factor.
Our genes not only determine our outward physical traits like hair color and eye color, but they also direct how our body functions on a day-to-day basis. Differences in our genes can explain why a medication that works for one person, may not be helpful for another person or may even be harmful.
GenePharmer, LLC helps patients have better health outcomes by offering thorough medication reviews in conjunction with pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing. A PGx test is a simple cheek swab that is sent to a genetics laboratory for analysis. The laboratory looks at a few dozen genes that are involved in how our bodies handle medications. The lab provides a report about each patient’s individual genetic makeup. This information is then considered along with many other factors about a patient to help patients and prescribers create medication plans that are more individualized. This personalized medicine approach decreases the likelihood for unwanted side effects and therapy failure. This approach can also potentially save a patient money as well as time spent finding the right therapy, and possibly reduce time missed from work, school or social activities due to medication problems.