Pharmacist Sue Paul is part of a group putting together a conference on being creative in pharmacy practice.  She has donated the following guest post, and I would encourage you to check out the Medipreneurs conference to see if it might be a good fit for you!

Patient was seen in the office this week for a follow up due an ER visit because he had an increase in rage and did not feel safe. His Prozac had been increased 1 week prior to the incident due to sub therapeutic response. Concurrent medications include Cetirizine and Fluticasone.

In the hospital, his Prozac was discontinued and he was give a temporary prescription for Valium 5mg quantity of #5.

At the office visit, DNA was obtained for pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing. Results indicated that with fluoxetine there was a significant drug-gene interaction and that this combination should be avoided.

An alternate psychoactive that played well with his genes was added. L-Methylfolate was also added to address the Heterozygous MTHFR deficiency. Although antidepressants do take a little while to work in most cases, at his one week follow up post medication change, patient presents with less anxiety (Valium was no longer being used).

Patients like doing the PGx testing because they love not feeling like a guinea pig. PGx testing helps the prescribers provide a more personalized approach and opens up their prescribing options to medications that may not currently be in their wheelhouse.

Pharmacists can play a major role in this setting by completing the testing, analyzing the results, recommending appropriate therapy, and educating the providers and patients about the recommended medications.

If you would like to learn more about innovative pharmacy practices and how to create your own, come join us in Asheville, NC at the Medipreneurs conference. Check out www.medipreneurs.com for pharmacists who are ready to break down traditional barriers and learn how to take their out-of-the-box thinking to the next level