Before Lori Layton and her husband Steven moved to Florida, they received a majority of their care at Sanford Health in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Part of that care involved prescription drug medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used to treat depression and anxiety, that were causing some unwelcome side effects for both of them.
For Steven, early on in his treatment, the solution to battling these side effects came through a simple blood test ordered by his clinician at a local clinic which revealed the root of the issue: his body wasn’t processing the medication as expected.
This is when the couple discovered pharmacogenomics.
Lori wanted to do the same for her own health journey. She was referred to Sanford Imagenetics for pharmacogenomic testing by her internal medicine physician.
What is pharmacogenomics?
Pharmacogenomics, or PGx, is the science behind how a person’s genes affect the way they process and respond to certain medications. That’s according to April Schultz, Pharm.D., director of operations and pharmacogenomics services at Sanford Imagenetics.
It’s a foundational part of Sanford Imagenetics, a program that helps its patients understand how their DNA impacts their health care, leading to safer and more accurate treatment.
Schultz said that over 92% of their patients have genetic variants that affect the safety and efficacy of medications. Additionally, she said, about 26% of patients are currently taking a medication that could be affected.
“So, what this tells us is that a quarter of our patients have medications that could be optimized to provide better care,” Schultz said. “We are learning more each day through collaborative research efforts. These efforts will help us define the information needed to develop more clinical guidelines to help provide another piece of the puzzle that can guide clinical treatment decisions.”
‘It literally changed my life’
Prior to discovering the PGx test, Steven was prescribed his antidepressant medication and even as the dosage increased his symptoms persisted. When his results of the PGx test were available, it revealed the medication was not a good match for his system.
Photo courtesy of Lori and Steven Layton
After a conversation with his care team and the medication was changed, Lori said the impact was life-changing, and Steven returned to feeling his best self.
The PGx test didn’t just provide solutions for Steven but also gave Lori the long-awaited clarity to her own struggles with medication.
“I was on Prozac at the time, and I kept telling the doctor I just feel like a zombie,” Lori said.
She was then prescribed two different medications which, she said, didn’t have the intended effect.
“It was like I had electrical currents shooting through me,” she said. “It was the weirdest feeling. And I just was burned out on the antidepressants.”
This changed after her own PGx test revealed that Lori metabolizes some medications more slowly. With that knowledge, doctors were able to find an alternative for Lori by putting her on a new medication more suitable to her genetic makeup.
“It’s the only thing I have to take,” Lori explained. “It makes me totally excited.”
“It’s been a win all the way around and a complete difference in our health and how we were responding to our medication.”
‘I’m starting to be me again’
Unlike Lori and Steven, Sioux Falls, South Dakota patient Hollie Scott wasn’t seeking immediate care when she took the PGx test. Instead, she did it out of curiosity in case she needed it for any future medications.
Photo courtesy of Hollie Scott
This would come to fruition in early 2024 when Scott started experiencing increased stress and turned to her primary doctor to get treated for depression and anxiety.
The PGx test gave her the head start she needed to get treated with a medication that was known to be a match with her genetics. This was possible because the PGx test results are added to a patient’s medical record allowing for alerts to guide prescribing. A clinician can access the information and use it, along with other important factors, to make treatment decisions more personalized.
Because of her results, Scott was matched with a medication that worked well with her unique genetic profile, and she started to see the benefit quickly.
“Within a week I noticed a difference,” Scott said. “This is helping and I’m starting to be me again.”
The proper medication gave her back her emotional well-being.
“It literally changed my life,” Scott said.
“It was just so hard to get through the days because my brain was overworking. It just needed that extra help and knowing my medication worked with my body right away is amazing.”
For Lori Layton, Steven Layton and Hollie Scott, pharmacogenomics offered more than just answers. It offered victories.
By tailoring medications to each person’s unique genetic makeup, the Sanford Imagenetics test helps patients reclaim their quality of life through genetically guided treatment decisions both now and in the future.
More about PGx testing
For patients interested in pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing, the first step is simple: Talk to a primary care clinician or contact the PGx clinic to discuss opportunities with the PGx team.
Sanford’s pharmacogenomics clinic is also available for more questions about what PGx testing could do for you during your healthcare journey. A clinical pharmacist and a nurse practitioner review medication history and explore how personal genetic makeup may impact any future medications.
After you talk with your doctor about your medications and potential genetic testing, they can refer to the pharmacogenomics team or you can call to make an appointment.
Call Sanford Imagenetics at (605) 404-4000 to learn more or make an appointment. Appointments are available in person or virtually.
Learn more
- Pharmacogenomics: Your genes hold valuable information
- Sanford Imagenetics reaches PGx testing milestone
- Sanford Imagenetics staff co-authors textbook on PGx
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Posted In Bismarck, Genetics, Healthy Living, Internal Medicine, Sioux Falls
