Why is genetic testing important for psychiatric purposes?
Your genes may affect the way medications work in your body—some medications could work better with your unique genetic profile and some
medicines might not work well at all for you. Your genes also can affect how quickly your body breaks down (metabolizes) medicine and gets medicine into your bloodstream. When a medication doesn’t work with your genes, you may not get the relief you need, and you may have additional unwanted side effects. By matching the medication to your genes, you have a much greater chance of getting on a medication that could help you. Completion of the Star-D Trial completed by the National Institute of Mental Health included over 4000 patients and concluded that for every unsuccessful trial of an antidepressant, a patients potential for positive response or “remission” from depression decreased by 25% with just the first medication trial, then exponentially with each subsequent medication tried. What this means is for each antidepressant that you try, your potential for improvement declines with each additional medication tried.
What is Genesight?
Genesight is a genetic test, ordered by your provider that helps healthcare providers take a personalized approach to prescribing medicine for patients. Because genes influence the way a person’s body responds to specific medications, they may not work the same for everyone. Using DNA gathered with a simple cheek swab, Genesight analyzes a patient’s genes and provides individualized information to help healthcare providers select medications that better match their patient’s genes. Multiple clinical studies have shown that clinicians used Genesight to help guide treatment decisions, patients were twice as likely to respond to the selected medication.1 (http://genesight.com/).
What types of conditions can Genesight be used for?
- Genesight Psychotropic: matching genes to medications that are FDA-approved to treat depression, anxiety, bipolar disease, schizophrenia or other neuropsychiatric conditions.
- Genesight ADHD: matching genes to medications that are FDA-approved to treat ADHD and Narcolepsy.
- Genesight MTHFR: examines how your body processes folic acid and determines if there are genetic factors that could lead to folate deficiency and possibly contribute to depression.
How will you use the information from Genesight to treat me?
The Genesight report is one piece of information that your provider can use to create an individualized treatment plan for you. This report will then guide in selecting the most appropriate medication or medications for you. With Genesight, the provider can identify which medicines are more likely to be effective and less likely to have unwanted side effects based on your genetic make-up.
Where do I do this and how long will it take to get the results?
The test is a simple cheek swab, can be completed in the comfort of your home. The sample is then express mailed to our laboratory with the pre-paid postage. Once Assurex Health receives your sample, they will complete the analysis and send a report to your provider within 72 hours.
Billing & Insurance
Many government and commercial insurance plans cover Genesight. Insurances such as Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare cover this testing in full. Plus, Assurex Health has created a variety of patient assistance programs to make Genesight accessible regardless of income level. These programs are available to patients whose insurance is out of network with Assurex Health. You can pay as little as $20 for this progressive and extremely valuable testing that provides lifelong application. Your new provider has a copy of a Genesight Billing Guide (included in the packet) and you can learn more at www.genesight.com or by calling the Genesight Customer Service team at (866) 757-9204.