Pharmacogenomics (PGx) at Midwest Recovery Centers

At Midwest Recovery Centers, mental health care and addiction treatment are evidence-based. One clinically proven way that we offer evidence-based care is through pharmacogenomics or PGx. In technical terms, it’s an approach to medicine where your genomic information is used to tailor the medications used in your medical management. PGx is a type of precision medicine that’s becoming increasingly important in physical and mental health care.

Precision Medicine in Mental Health Care

Precision medicine allows a targeted approach to selecting psychiatric medicines based on an individual’s molecular and genetic profile. By understanding genetic variations, healthcare providers can pinpoint drugs more likely to be effective for a particular patient, reducing the need for a trial-and-error approach. Tailoring treatment plans to your unique genetic makeup can optimize your treatment response.

How Does Pharmacogenomic Testing Work?

At Midwest Recovery Centers, we use PGx testing that analyzes your genetic makeup to help our team understand how your body processes and responds to medications. The goal is to personalize medications by identifying genetic variations affecting how you metabolize certain drugs.

With PGx testing, our providers gain insight into your genetic profile that can help determine the most safe, effective medications, and this testing also helps to avoid the potential for side effects or adverse reactions.

Along with psychiatry, PGx testing is used in fields like cardiology and oncology.

The steps in the PGx testing process include:

• Collecting a genetic sample. A DNA sample is collected using a cheek swab or blood sample. The DNA sample is then analyzed to identify gene variations or mutations influencing how your body metabolizes drugs. The variations can affect how you process and respond to medicines.
• Analyzing the results. The results of the genetic analysis are interpreted within the context of known drug-gene interactions.
• Creating a treatment plan. A healthcare provider will then use the information from PGx testing to make treatment decisions personalized to you. This could include adjusting your dosages, choosing different medications, or considering other factors to optimize the drug’s safety and effectiveness.

One of the critical focuses of this type of testing is that it looks at genes that play a role in how drugs are metabolized. Variations in specific genes contribute to differences in how quickly or slowly someone metabolizes certain medications. This impacts the efficacy and possible side effects.

PGx testing, while providing valuable information and insight, is used along with many other tools to make treatment decisions, including clinical judgment and consideration of individual factors.

The Benefits of PGx Testing in Mental Health Care

Regarding mental health and psychiatric care specifically, PGx testing offers benefits including:

• Personalized treatment plans based on the genetic profiles of each individual.
• Better informed decisions. By understanding your genetic variations, your healthcare provider can make more informed decisions about medicines, reducing the trial-and-error process to identify the proper medication and the optimal dosage.
• Medical insight. Genetic variations affect how likely someone is to experience side effects from drugs. PGx testing can identify if someone is more likely to be at high risk of experiencing an adverse reaction. Medications can be adjusted, or more careful monitoring might be done if there’s an identified risk of side effects.
• Positive outcomes and better well-being. Personalized medication plans increase the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. These outcomes include better symptom relief, improved quality of life, and a minimized risk of complications related to treatment.
• Quicker results. The time it takes for someone to see benefits from their medicine can be reduced with PGx testing. In mental health, this is especially valuable.
• Improved Treatment Adherence. Genetic testing in psychiatric and mental health care can increase treatment adherence. You’re more likely to stick with your treatment plan if you have positive results without the frustration and possible side effects that come with trial-and-error of multiple medications.

This approach also reduces the stress you might feel because of treatment. A trial-and-error approach in mental health care can take a toll if you’re going through discomfort and uncertainty. PGx can lower the stress you feel and provide a targeted, efficient approach to your treatment.

Precision medicine and PGx testing also identify biomarkers that are associated with mental health conditions. These biomarkers give your treatment providers measurable ways to see what’s happening with your disease process. These biomarkers can help with the early detection of mental health disorders, contribute to a better understanding of underlying biological factors, and help measure the improvements that are happening as a result of your treatment.

You’re empowered through precision medicine, and you can become more involved in decision-making about your treatment. You gain insight into your genetic predispositions, creating a collaborative, informed approach to planning your treatment. This also helps reduce the stigma that can come with receiving treatment for mental health disorders.

Studies are continuously showing the value of PGx. For example, in one Danish study with 77,000 participants, 99.9% had genetic variances that were actionable for psychotropic drugs.

PGx and Our Core Values

PGx testing is aligned with our core values at Midwest Recovery Centers. These include measurability and evidence-based treatment interventions and taking an inclusive, client-centric approach that recognizes each person’s unique goals and needs in their treatment. We honor each individual’s differences and approach our treatment plans holistically.

We use PGx as one of many approaches in our therapeutic model so that you can find mental wellness, recovery, and improvement in every aspect of your life. Our team includes medical and psychiatric experts and clinical therapists, and we also integrate holistic activities in a safe, supportive, structured environment.

Our primary mental health residential program uses innovative, scientifically proven approaches to help you overcome mental health challenges. We focus on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. We also offer a variety of substance use disorder treatment services, including detox and residential care, as part of our transitional recovery program.

Interested in PGx? Learn More Today

If you’d like to learn more about PGx testing at Midwest Recovery Centers or our other programs, please contact our advocates today.