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Pharmaceutical-gene testing is also called pharmacogenomics, or pharmacogenetics. All terms characterize the study of how your genes affect your body’s response to medications. The word “pharmacogenomics” is combined from the words pharmacology (the study of the uses and effects of medications) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions). Your body has thousands of genes that you inherited from your parents. Genes determine which characteristics you have, such as eye color and blood type. Some genes are responsible for how your body processes medications. Pharmacogenetic tests look for changes or variants in these genes that may determine whether a medication could be an effective treatment for you, the best dosage, or whether you could have side effects to a specific medication.

All that is required is a small saliva sample that can help determine:

• Whether a medication may be an effective treatment for you
  
• What the best dose of a medication is for you
  
• Whether you could have serious side effects from a medication
  

Your insurance provider can tell you if pharmacogenetic testing is covered under your plan.