Pharmacogenomic Testing at Cheyenne VA

• Help your healthcare provider find a medication that is safe for you
• Fewer side effects
• Less “wait-and-see” and less “trial-and-error” with medications
• One-time testing that can be reused by your health care team for your lifetime
• Greater trust and satisfaction with your health care
   

• Depression
• Heart disease
• Certain cancers   
• Pain management   
• Infections
• Inflammatory diseases 

 With this information, health care providers can identify safer or more effective drug options or adjust dosages. 

 Since its inception, more than 100,000 Veterans have completed PGx testing. 

• Testing is free for Veterans.
• Pharmacogenomics is just one factor that may impact how you tolerate and/or respond to a medicine.
• The PGx test mainly focuses on how your body processes or responds to medicines. It is not a test that tells you if you are likely to develop common diseases like heart disease or cancer. It is not a test that will tell you where your ancestors came from.
• The VA PGx test only checks certain genes that we know affect selected medicines. There may be other medicines that you are taking that are affected by genes we do not test for.
• Other factors include your age, sex, race, ethnicity, and other medicines you may be taking.
• Federal law protects patients from discrimination by insurance companies or employers based on testing results.
• Genetic test results cannot be used to deny or reduce a Veteran’s service-connected benefits.
• If you have had liver or certain bone marrow transplants, you are not a candidate for testing. 
   

• The test requires the collection of one tube of blood.
• Results take 4 – 6 weeks.
• You and your health care provider will each get a written copy of the results. 

Your health care provider will discuss and answer your questions about: 

• What the PGx test results may find and
• Benefits, limitations, and risks. 
   

• Blood tests are generally safe. Having blood drawn may produce discomfort or minor bleeding and the possibility of bruising at the site of the needle puncture. Although rare, some people may experience nausea or feel faint.
• It is possible that the treatment recommendations based on the test results may include medicines that are more expensive or not preferred by VA. Be sure to discuss these issues with your health care provider.
• The test may reveal hereditary disorders, if you have any. Your health care provider will let you know if that is the case. 
   

• Your VA provider who ordered your PGx test will receive your test results.
• The results will also be stored in your VA medical record for all your VA health care providers to review.
• As with all laboratory vendors, the testing lab also keeps copies of the genetic test results. However, your DNA and blood sample are destroyed.
• Your PGx test results will be kept confidential and will only be shared with your permission or if there is a court order.
• We will also send a copy of your test results to you in the mail. If you have providers outside the VA, you may want to share the results with them. 

• Your results show each gene tested by gene name.
• The type of gene you have is described in 2 ways: the genotype and phenotype.
  Both describe the type of differences in genes that were found by the test. 
   

Your health care provider who ordered the test may answer your questions, or they will direct you to another provider who can. 

• Many of the genes tested describe how your body processes medicines. For example, rapid metabolizers process some medicines quickly. Poor metabolizers may not process some medicines well.
• Remember, not all genes tested affect the medicines you are currently prescribed. Similarly, not all of your medicines are affected by the genes tested.
• Please talk to your provider or pharmacist about how your test results apply to your medicines.
   

• PGx test results do not change and are considered valid for your entire lifespan because your genetic makeup remains consistent. However, new information may emerge, and guidelines and recommendation for using PGx test results may be updated.
• Scientists are still working to find other genes that are important for medicine response. You may be tested for new genes discovered in the future. 
   

• Your test results tell providers only part of the story. Pharmacogenomics is just one factor that may impact how you tolerate and/or respond to a medicine.
• Other factors include your age, sex, race, ethnicity, organ function, overall health, and other medicines you may be taking that also affect how your body responds to medicines.
• Your provider will use all these factors to prescribe the most appropriate medicines and doses for you.
   

• As always, never stop taking your medications without first speaking to your provider. PGx test results can be complex. Talk to your provider about your questions or concerns.
• If you see more than one provider, please share your test results with your other providers. This is especially helpful if a different provider starts a new medicine for you, or if you get care outside the VA.