New Genetics Test Can Reduce the Potential for Adverse Drug Reactions
According to the CDC, 82% of American adults take at least one medication and 29% take five or more.
PRESS RELEASE
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. -­‐-­‐ According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 82% of American adults take at least one medication and 29% take five or more. In addition, the CDC reports over 2 million adverse drug reactions each year leading to emergency room visits, with an estimated 100,000 deaths annually.
In response to this serious health issue, Fruth Pharmacy announced that it will now offer Rxight™ (“pronounced RIGHT“), the broadest, most comprehensive pharmacogenetic program. This program, developed by MD Labs, a leading CLIA certified high complexity laboratory, will help determine if the medications people take and the dosage levels are right for them based on their DNA. Rxight™ covers over 200 prescription and over-­‐the-­‐ counter (OTC) medications.
“This helps explain why some people wind up in an emergency room from taking a drug while others do fine on the same medication. Until recently, drugs have been prescribed hoping that each drug works pretty much the same in everybody, but knowing they don’t,” said Lynne Fruth, president of Fruth Pharmacy. “Pharmacogenetics information challenges this one size fits all approach and opens the door to more personalized approaches to prescribing and using medication.”
Pharmacogenetics uses information about a person's genetic profile to help choose the medication and drug doses that are likely to work best for them, helping to avoid ineffective or potentially dangerous drug reactions. After their physician has authorized the lab test, the patient visits a Fruth Pharmacy for a simple cheek swab and to purchase the Rxight™ test. The Fruth pharmacist receives the results from the lab in 5-­‐7 days. Each patient receives their results during a Personalized Medication Review® with a Fruth pharmacist trained in pharmacogenetics. The Fruth pharmacist will then coordinate care with the patient’s prescribing physician.
The Rxight™ test provides information on medications covering 14 therapeutic classes, including pain, blood pressure, blood thinner, ADHD, anxiety, depression, diabetes, cancer, respiratory issues and other medications. It is highly likely that someone is taking one of these medications now, or will need to take them in the future.
“We’re thrilled to be launching Rxight with Fruth Pharmacy,” said Matthew Rutledge, co-­‐ founder of MD Labs. “Together we will help physicians make more informed prescribing decisions to help their patients avoid medications that may be ineffective or inadvertently cause adverse drug reactions or catastrophic events. The key question is, just like a deadly allergy, do you want to know before or after you take the medication?”
To learn more about the Rxight™ test, please visit Rxight.com.
