Update: The results of this research are in! Find out more here.

How can pharmacogenetic testing improve care for elderly patients taking multiple medications?

Genelex is trying to find out.

As a pioneer in the field of personalized medicine, Genelex, the creators of the YouScript Personalized Prescribing System, is continually investigating ways to further research on the benefits of pharmacogenetic testing.

The Seattle-based company is sponsoring the IMPACT study, a prospective, non-interventional, multisite observational study assessing the benefits of pharmacogenetic testing among elderly polypharmacy patients with principal investigator Dr. Diana Brixner, PhD, RPh. Dr. Brixner is Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. IMPACT stands for Improving Medication Protocols and Abating Cost of Treatment.

Polypharmacy patients are often most at risk from adverse drug events, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate cost $3.5 billion annually in extra health care costs. Pharmacogenetic testing helps reduce these side effects by allowing doctors to tailor medication regimens to a patient’s DNA.

The three-phase study seeks to demonstrate the benefits of pharmacogenetic testing via YouScript among elderly polypharmacy patients. The research will also assess the impact of recommendations for medication changes on clinical decision making, patient outcomes, and health care resource utilization to determine which medications, specialties, or patient segments derive the greatest benefit from this intervention.

Click here to find out more about the study on ClinicalTrials.gov.