HomebusinesshealthAwards and RecognitionbusinesshealthResourcesBlog
The Callery Group
About UsOur ServicesContact Us

Pharmacogenomics Means Better Prescriptions
A simple DNA test can now help pinpoint which drugs are going to work best for you

One day we read an article or watch a documentary about some fantastic new technology that sounds like science fiction, and the next day we can get it down at the local mall. That's the case right now for the latest thing in drug prescribing: pharmacogenomics.

The word is a combination of "pharmaceutical" and "genomic testing."

Basically it means that you take a DNA test – you give a sample, and they send it to the lab for analysis. What comes back is a report that tells your doctor and your pharmacist which drugs are going to work best for you, which ones might not work so well, and possibly even which ones are likely to cause you serious side effects.

We've long known that every person is different, and that not everyone responds in the same ways to any given medication or treatment. One of the best examples – known long before DNA testing was even heard of – involves the powerful pain killer codeine. It's an opiate, related to morphine, a narcotic and a powerful pain killer. Many people have been prescribed codeine in Tylenol No. 3 or 282's for severe pain from things such as back injuries.

Codeine is powerful and effective – for about 19 out of 20 people. For the other one out of 20, or about five percent of the population, it doesn't work at all. For them, it is completely ineffective. That's because codeine is a "prodrug," which means that codeine itself doesn't relieve pain until it's broken down into other compounds by your body. It's those other compounds that provide the pain relief. If you're one of the people whose body doesn't metabolize codeine, you get no effect.

It used to be that the only way to tell if codeine was going to work for you was to try it. You'd get the prescription, take it for a couple of days and, if it didn't help, go back to the doctor to try something else.

With pharmacogenomics, we can cut out the trial and error and, if you're one of that five percent, go directly to a prescription that's going to work for you right away.

But codeine is just a very clear-cut example.

Pharmacogenomics is already being used very effectively in the prescribing of a wide range of drugs, from blood thinners to cancer treatments to psychiatric medications. In all those areas, the stakes can be a lot higher, and traditional trial-and-error could be a much longer and riskier process.

Pharmacogenomic analysis basically gives you a much better shot at getting the drug that's going to work best for you the first time out. It's a really big deal, and we're going to be hearing a lot more about it as the science and practice develop over the next few years.

But, like all big advances and any kind of DNA testing, it does raise some issues. There are questions of how much you really want to know about your medical future, and issues of protecting the privacy of such intimate information. But the big thing that people in our line of work are already bumping into is more immediate and practical: what if your pharmacogenomic test shows that you're not going to do well on any of the products covered by your drug plan, but would do better on something that's not yet covered?

As of today, there's no easy answer to that last question. It's something insurers, employers offering plans, and even public policy makers are going to have to address.

As this all goes forward, we'll do our best to keep you posted.

If there is a topic that you would like me to write about,
please email me at billz@callerygroup.com.

Copyright Notice

All rights reserved. All of the content herein is the sole property of the Callery Group, and may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system - in whole or in part - without the written permission of the Callery Group. Links to the originating article at www.callerygroup.com are permitted.

The Buzz Bits
Miscellaneous links to interesting benefits information

March edition of The Inside Story from GSC

Tax Quick Facts 2017

Institutional investors favouring allocations in less liquid assets

Economic council suggests backtrack on retirement age

Alberta government retiree awarded $267K for 'absurd' pension calculation

How to tackle 3 wealth-transfer challenges

Why your workplace needs to adopt the walk-and-talk

Want to cut 7 pounds of sugar from your diet? Try this 30-day challenge.

Community Ethics, Big City Expertise

Subscribe to the Buzz Blog

Blog archive

Time To Get Ahead Of The Curve

"We've all been working from home for the last four months and now it looks like we're probably never going to go back to working in the office." It’s a statement I'm hearing every day, as more and more workplaces are discovering that working from home is working out better than anyone ever imagined. [more]

Hitting Reset On The Mindset

We can't afford to think "when this is over." We have a job to do and a chance to step up and really shine [more]

Working From Home

10 ways to communicate effectively in a working-from-home environment  [more]

Managing Paramedical Benefits

Think aboutwhy you offer paramedical benefits in order to manage them effectively  [more]

It's All About The Experience

I thought cell phone dependency was a cliche - until I lost mine far from home  [more]

What Happened When I Lost My Phone

I thought cell phone dependency was a cliche - until I lost mine far from home  [more]

"Mental Health" Doesn't Mean What it Used to Mean

We’re done admiring the problem, and it’s time to take some action  [more]

When There is No Return to Work

An Ontario court has set a limit on employers' return-to-work obligations  [more]

Rooting Out the Root Causes

When benefits fraud gets out of hand, it's a sign of big problems higher up  [more]

Four Key Gaps in Benefits Plans

Annual Sanofi survey zeros in on knowledge gaps in plan management [more]

How to Avoid Falling Through the Generation Gaps

Never mind "the older" and "the younger" generation – there are now five of them [more]

Predictive Analysis and Three Other Trends to Watch

Benefits and wellness programs are never going to be the same again [more]

Pharmacare: A Solution Looking for a Problem

Pharmacare would be such a good idea - if everybody wasn't already covered [more]

When the "Human Side" Gets Right in Your Face

A seriously injured client gives us a whole new perspective on resilience [more]

Is Virtual Health Care the New Must-Have Benefit?

In the age of the smart phone, do we really still need to line up and wait to talk to a doctor? [more]

Three Things I Learned from Doc Martin

When it comes to losing weight, there are a few basics you just can't get around [more]

Top 10 Take-Aways from a Crazy Busy Year

What we can learn from the biggest and most controversial issues we've looked at this year [more]

Engagement is the New Normal

What do employees really want from their jobs? [more]

10 Things You Need to Know about Travel Insurance

How to avoid making the mistakes that could cost you your insurance coverage [more]

How to Give First Aid for Mental Health

There's a new perspective on mental health at work, and it's a real eye-opener [more]

What Else Is In Bill 148 - And Why You Need to Know

There's a lot more to Bill 148 than minimum wage hikes and personal emergency leave [more]

The Next Big Thing in Benefits?

Major insurance providers are looking seriously at covering pharmacogenetic testing [more]

Will Cannabis Legalization Change Attitudes about Testing?

New legal limits for impairment may have a bigger impact than legalization [more]

Avoiding The Dreaded "Claim Rejected"

Benefits administrators are always caught in the middle when claims are rejected [more]

Big Data Takes On Benefits Fraud

Data analysis is starting to make a dent in many benefits fraud schemes [more]

The Chronic Pain Puzzle

Financial costs alone are higher than cancer, heart disease and HIV combined [more]

Financial Wellness: Why Money Management Counseling is Such a Good Idea

Debt counseling and money management education can make a big difference for employees [more]

The Next Big Thing: Mental Health Policy

It's time to get ahead of the curve on this one [more]

Unintended Lessons I've learned about Blogging so far

You never know what's going to happen when you click on a link [more]

Drugs, Alcohol and, Oh Yes, Marijuana

Changing times may require all of us to take a long hard look at our drug-and-alcohol policies [more]

Best Tips For Sleeping Well

If you're just not sleeping well, there are some pretty effective things you can do to make it better [more]

Survey Says: Wellness Programs Improve Overall Satisfaction

It seems that employees' satisfaction with wellness programs spills over into satisfaction with their benefits programs and their jobs in general [more]

Changes Coming to Personal Emergency Leave Laws

Amendments to the Employment Standards Act will significantly increase legally mandated employee leaves [more]

The Good News and the Bad News on Diabetes

We keep hearing about a "diabetes epidemic," but there are things we can do now to improve our odds of beating the statistics [more]

Who's Your "Broker" Working For?

In a world of brokers, agents, advisors and consultants, it's important to stay focused on who's really working for you [more]

The Secret to Really Good Workplace Wellness

Workplace wellness is a way to solve a lot of problems before they even come up [more]

Medical Marijuana - More Questions than Answers

A lack of medical consensus makes drug plan coverage of medical marijuana very difficult [more]

Pharmacogenomics Means Better Prescriptions

A simple DNA test can now help pinpoint which drugs are going to work best for you [more]

Why Airplanes Crash

What one successful CEO learned from air crash investigations – and how it all applies to managing any organization [more]

Not A Delicate Subject Anymore...

How to start the conversation about mental health in the workplace [more]

A Look Inside

There's more to this business that we usually talk about... [more]

Bio What-Now?

Get ready for "generic" biologics. [more]

What You Don't Want to Say to Your Doctor

There are some things that you want to explain to your doctor, and some things you really should stay away from. [more]

Your Dentist's Pet Peeve

Why you should know all the ins and outs of your dental insurance plan before you ever lean back in the chair and open wide [more]

About that Credit Card Travel Insurance

It may be of some value, especially if you have no pre-existing conditions, but you really need to read that fine print [more]

Right Drug, Right Time, Right Cost

Why you should work with your doctor, your pharmacist, and your drug plan to make sure you get optimal treatmenty [more]

Big Smiles

A focus on dental plans will ensure that everyone remains happy [more]

Your Doctor Doesn't Know Everything

When it comes to prescriptions, patients need to be part of the conversation [more]

Prescription for Disaster

Advances in pharmaceuticals are threatening your drug plan [more]

Sleep Easy

Conditions like sleep apnea can be treated, ensuring proper rest and productive days [more]

Easy as EAP

Formal support makes a big difference when employees face personal challenges [more]

Well Done

10 ways to develop an effective workplace wellness program [more]

Mind Matters

Businesses can't afford to ignore the mental health of their employees [more]

Brian's Story

Brian Callery is celebrating 40 years in our business. It's a commitment that makes a difference in his clients' businesses [more]

The Benefits to You

The same plans designed to protect employees will also offer advantages to employers [more]

Lawyer Up

There are legal ramifications around changing benefit plans - especially if an employee is being terminated [more]

Travel Trauma

Dream vacations can turn into nightmares when travel insurance claims are denied [more]

Evolution Solution

Evolving benefit plans will meet employee needs and support recruiting and retention efforts [more]

Plan & Predict

How rising paramedical claims, drug reforms, and other trends will affect your workplace benefits [more]

Who Benefits

Education makes the case for workplace benefit plans [more]

Season of Renewal

Important questions to ask your benefits advisor before inking a deal [more]

Preventive Measures

Paramedical services help keep employees healthy, on the job, and productive [more]

A Bounce in Their Step

Canada Rubber Group employees are embracing their new wellness program [more]

Business Benefits

Shandex Group and Indaco Manufacturing discuss the value of evolving employee benefits plans [more]

A New Mindset

Workplaces can't afford to ignore the mental health of employees [more]

Cost Cutters

10 cost-cutting strategies to protect your benefits plan [more]

Safe Travels

12 ways to protect yourself on your next vacation [more]

Breaking News

Learn from the mistakes of an AOL executive when discussing any changes to your benefits plans [more]

Watch the Gaps

Protect against turnover and lost opportunities by recognizing the generation gaps [more]

Generation Next

Generation Y represents the future of your business - and will see workplace benefits plans in a different way [more]

Absent Minded

Employers are paying the price for absenteeism, but it can be controlled [more]

Think Positive

Programs that build positive workplaces make business sense [more]

Back to School

8 important lessons your employees need to learn about benefits plans [more]

Find a Better Broker

6 questions you should ask anyone who wants to sell you a benefits plan [more]

Plan Your ROI

5 ways employee benefits plans can deliver a real Return on Investment [more]

The Benefit of Benefits

3 ways a benefits plan can improve your company's bottom line. [more]

A Healthy Dose of Information

5 questions for your pharmacist that might save your drug plan and your wallet. [more]

Claim Denied

Consider these 8 ways to avoid rejected benefit claims. [more]

Travel Planning

6 questions to ask before assuming you are protected by a group plan's travel insurance. [more]

Biologic Logic

Growing list of biologic drugs could bankrupt poorly protected drug plans. [more]

Smart Shopping

8 shopping habits that will protect your benefits plan. [more]

Tough Medicine

Employees will share more responsibilities and higher costs to sustain their benefits. [more]

Crime Costs

5 scams that could be placing your benefits plan at risk. [more]

A Prescription for Your Drug Plan

Skyrocketing drug prices may be threatening your benefits plan, but generic drugs offer a cure. [more]

Planes, Trains and Travel Insurance

The fine print in your travel insurance may leave you more exposed than you think. [more]

Healthy and Wealthy

5 steps to an employee wellness program that will generate real financial returns. [more]

Avoiding Burnout During Holiday Season

Education and Prevention can help control spiraling benefit costs. [more]

Sweat the Small Stuff

Protect your staff by avoiding these common "paperwork" mistakes by administrators. [more]



Services Personal Services Corporate Services