Genetic Test for Medications
With a simple at-home test kit, you can conveniently collect your DNA sample and discover how your genetic makeup influences the way your body processes medications. We handle the analysis, and your results include a specialist consultation plus documented guidance for your doctor, helping them make informed prescribing decisions and increasing the likelihood of optimised treatment outcomes.
Genetic Medicine Test
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See how NowPatient is helping individuals with precision medicine in the UK and the US
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Your Guide to Using the Genetic Medicines Test App Feature
- Step 1.
Open Genetic Medicines Test Service Card, tap ‘Check Eligibility’
1 - Step 2.
Use AI Chat Bot to answer questions and check if you qualify
2 - Step 3.
Select recommended Test and click ‘Add to Cart’
3 - Step 4.
Complete Checkout
4 - Step 5.
Receive your home testing kit
5 - Step 6.
Collect your sample at home
6 - Step 7.
Return sample using prepaid pack
7 - Step 8.
Get notified when results are ready
8 - Step 9.
Book a consultation with a clinician
9 - Step 10.
View results in ‘Reports & Letters’
10 - Step 11.
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SERVICE GUIDE
How Genetic Medicines Test Works
What Is the Genetic Medicines Test?
The Genetic Medicines Test is a convenient at-home pharmacogenetic test that looks for gene variations affecting how your body processes certain medications. Once you receive your results, a licensed pharmacogenetics clinician will review them with you in a live video consultation. Your results can then help your doctor determine whether you metabolise a medication quickly, slowly, or at a typical rate.
If you are found to be a fast or slow metaboliser, your doctor may adjust your dosage, switch your medication, or take other steps to improve effectiveness or reduce side effects. Your genetic results are lifelong meaning once you have been tested, you have this information for every future prescribing decision.
This is the first private service of its kind in the UK and is also available to users in the United States. The test analyses genes that process over 30% of all commonly prescribed medications, including many antidepressants and antipsychotics.
Why Does This Matter? A Practical Example
In psychiatry, choosing the right antidepressant or antipsychotic often involves a period of trial and error. These medications can have limited effectiveness for some patients and may cause unwanted side effects, meaning a treatment may not work as well as it should. The Genetic Medicines Test helps your doctor personalise your treatment by adjusting the medication or dose based on your genetic makeup, improving both safety, effectiveness, and treatment outcomes.
What Genes Does NowPatient Test?
NowPatient currently offers two gene panel tests to help you understand how your body may respond to certain medications. Our laboratory screens for genetic variations with a validated sensitivity of over 99%.
The two gene panels we test are:
- CYP2C19
- CYP2D6
These enzymes play a key role in processing more than 30% of commonly prescribed medications, including many antidepressants and antipsychotics.
What Is CYP2C19?
CYP2C19 is an enzyme involved in breaking down 5–10% of commonly prescribed medications. It is controlled by the CYP2C19 gene, and variations in this gene can affect how well the enzyme works. Around 3–6% of people of European and African ancestry, and 13–23% of Asian populations, have a slower-acting form of the enzyme, making them poor metabolisers.
Your rate of drug metabolism is important because it influences how your body processes medication:
- Fast metabolisers break down drugs too quickly, which can reduce effectiveness.
- Slow metabolisers process drugs too slowly, increasing the risk of side effects or toxicity.
By testing for CYP2C19 gene variants, we can determine whether you are a fast, normal, or slow metaboliser. This information helps your doctor decide whether the standard dose of a medication is appropriate, or whether it needs to be adjusted or replaced. This is a personalized approach to prescribing, ensuring that the right medication and dosage are selected based on your unique genetic profile.
What Is CYP2D6?
CYP2D6 is an important enzyme responsible for metabolising about 25% of all prescription medications. This enzyme is regulated by the CYP2D6 gene, and genetic differences can significantly affect how well it functions.
Your metabolism rate influences how your body responds to medication:
- Fast metabolisers break down drugs too quickly, which may reduce their effectiveness.
- Slow metabolisers process drugs more slowly, increasing the risk of side effects or toxicity at standard doses.
By testing for CYP2D6 gene variants, we can identify whether you are a fast, normal, or slow metaboliser. This insight helps your doctor determine if the usual dosage is appropriate for you, or whether it needs to be adjusted or changed. This is a personalized approach to prescribing, ensuring that the right medication and dosage are selected based on your unique genetic profile.
If I Am Recommended Both Tests, Do I Need to Do Both?
Yes. If your medication is sensitive to both CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, we recommend you have both panels tested.
For example, both CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 are clinically relevant genes that can influence how your body metabolises antidepressants. If you only had one gene panel tested, this would not give you conclusive information about how your body processes the medication you take, because the other panel’s influence would remain unknown.
What Are the Advantages of the Genetic Medicines Test?
Limiting Adverse Effects
If there is a change in your DNA that causes the gene to produce fewer proteins, your body could break some medications down more slowly. This can lead to the medication building up in your system, increasing the chance of side effects.
Therapeutic Efficacy
If your body is producing too many of the relevant proteins, you might process medications too quickly to benefit from them. Identifying this means your doctor can adjust the dose or switch to a more suitable option.
Genetic Medicines Test Results Are Lifelong
Your genetic results are lifelong. You will not need to retest your genetics for the same panel unless new genes are researched and added to the available tests. As testing evolves, you may be asked or wish to perform further Genetic Medicines Tests in the future. The laboratory reference sheet at the end of your report will be your best resource for determining if additional testing could provide further benefits.
Benefit Beyond the Initially Ordered Indication
Some genes, like CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, can provide information on multiple drug classes. For instance, these genes can be relevant not only to antidepressant medications but also to opioid pain medications, antipsychotics, proton pump inhibitors, and nerve pain medications.
What Is the Evidence Behind the Genetic Medicines Test?
Our testing is based on evidence from the CPIC (Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium) at https://cpicpgx.org/. The medications available for testing through the service have a PharmGKB (https://www.pharmgkb.org/) Clinical Annotation Level of evidence of 1A, 1B, 2A, or 2B, and a CPIC level status of ‘final’.
CPIC level A and level B gene/drug pairs have sufficient evidence for at least one prescribing action to be recommended. Only those gene/drug pairs that have been the subject of sufficient in-depth review of evidence are given the CPIC assignment level of ‘final’.
Is the Genetic Medicines Test Service Safe and Accredited?
UK Laboratory Standards
For UK users, our German laboratory complies with the fundamental guidelines for quality assurance in clinical laboratory testing set out by the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer). The laboratory meets all requirements of DIN EN ISO 15189:2014, established within an integrated quality management system based on certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 and the requirements of the Rili-BAK (2019). All consumables used for sample collection are procured in the UK and certified with conformance standards bodies.
US Laboratory Standards
For US users, our American laboratory is CLIA-certified and registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Clinical Decision Support
Both the UK and US services utilise Clinical Decision Support (CDS) software based on the evidence base of the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC).
How Much Does the Genetic Medicines Test Cost?
The Genetic Medicines Test is currently a private, paid-for service. In the UK, NHS funding may become available in the future. In the US, coverage through your health insurance plan may be possible, however, this depends on your specific plan. Please check with your insurer.
How to Check Your Eligibility and Order Your Test
The Genetic Medicines Test Service Card can be found in the ‘Private Care’ section of your account homepage. From the Options Menu on the card, select ‘Check Eligibility’.
You can check whether your medication is influenced by your genes in one of two ways:
- Use the Eligibility Checker to complete a quick screening assessment to check whether your medication is covered by the test(s).
- Automatic AI eligibility check: If you have given NowPatient access to your medication records, an automatic AI eligibility check will run. If you qualify, you will receive a notification.
If you qualify, you can select ‘View Test’ to learn more, or ‘Add to Cart’ to proceed directly.
Complete your purchase by following the checkout steps:
- Go to your Cart using the account navigation
- Select ‘Checkout’
- Select your delivery address
- Select your delivery method
- Confirm your billing address
- Review your order
- Submit payment
- Order confirmed
- Return to your account homepage
What Happens After You Have Completed Your Order?
Once your order is confirmed, the journey from kit delivery to results follows these steps:
- Your kit is delivered. Your Genetic Medicines Test Kit will be delivered to your home or preferred delivery address.
- Collect your sample at home. Follow the step-by-step instructions included in the kit to collect your sample.
- Return your sample. Place your sample in the prepaid return packaging provided and post it back to our laboratory. UK customers can use any Royal Mail post box. US customers can use any USPS collection point. All samples are fully tracked.
- Results are processed. Once your sample is received and analysed, you will receive a notification letting you know your results are ready. Please take note that results can take up to 10 working days to process from the day we receive your sample. The results, when ready, will show up in your Documents Folder but will remain locked.
- Booking your consultation. When you receive your results notification, there will be a ‘Book Consultation’ button that appears within the notification. You can schedule a live video consultation with one of our licensed genetics clinicians to review your results. See the booking steps below.
- View your results. After your consultation, your results and any referral letter issued will be available in your Documents Folder for you to view, download, and share with any healthcare provider.
Important: When to Return Your Sample
We do not recommend returning samples between Friday noon and Monday morning due to potential postal delays over the weekend. Posting your sample during this window may affect processing times.
How to Book Your Clinician Consultation
Once you receive notification that your results are ready, follow these seven steps to book your live video consultation:
- Initiate booking. Select ‘Book Consultation’ from within the results notification.
- Choose a date. Select your preferred consultation date and add any notes that might assist the clinician. Click ‘Continue’.
- Choose a time. Select your preferred consultation time from the available slots and click ‘Continue’.
- Choose a clinician. View available genetics clinicians and select the one you prefer. You can filter by gender and spoken languages. Click ‘Continue’.
- Review your booking. Check your booking summary and read the ‘Pre-consultation Requirements’ advisory for guidance on how to prepare for your video consultation. Click ‘Continue’.
- Safety information and reminders. Provide your consultation address and emergency contact details. You can opt in to receive an SMS reminder 30 minutes before your appointment.
- Confirm your booking. Click ‘Confirm Booking’. A confirmation pop-up will appear and you will be redirected to your account homepage. You will also receive in-app and push notifications confirming the appointment.
What Happens During the Consultation?
Your live video consultation with a licensed specialist genetics clinician is specifically structured around your Genetic Medicines Test results:
- Introduction and identity verification. The clinician introduces themselves and confirms your identity to ensure privacy and confidentiality. They will also explain what the Genetic Medicines Test is designed to do: identifying genetic variations that can affect how you metabolise or respond to specific medications.
- Review of your test results. The clinician walks you through your results in clear, non-technical language, covering your metaboliser status (poor, intermediate, normal, rapid, or ultra-rapid), which genes were tested (CYP2D6, CYP2C19), and how your gene variants may affect your response to your medications.
- Personalised interpretation and recommendations. The clinician reviews what your results mean in relation to the medications you are currently taking. If the results suggest that a medication or dosage may not be suitable for your genetic profile, the clinician may recommend that your doctor reviews your prescription. In that case, a referral letter (including your test results) will be sent to your doctor.
- Your questions answered. You will have dedicated time to ask questions and discuss any concerns. The goal is to ensure you fully understand how your gene and medication status may affect your treatment outcomes and what your next steps are.
- Post-consultation summary. After the consultation, you will receive a notification summarising the key outcomes. This will confirm whether a referral letter to your GP was issued. If a referral was made, a copy of the letter will be available in the Documents Folder. Your test results will also be unlocked, allowing you to view, download, and share them with any healthcare provider. If the results indicated that your current medications are unaffected by your genetic profile, the consultation will conclude without the need for changes or further action.
How Do I Return My Sample?
A prepaid return packaging system is included with every kit. Place your collected sample inside and send it from any Royal Mail post box (UK customers) or USPS collection point (US customers). All samples are fully tracked.
How Long Do Results Take?
Results can take up to 10 working days to process from the day the laboratory receives your sample. Once your results are ready, you will receive a notification prompting you to book your clinician consultation.
Are My Results Confidential?
Yes. NowPatient follows strict General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which came into force in May 2018, placing legal requirements on us to manage your personal data securely and with the utmost confidentiality. Records are maintained of all processing carried out, and any regulatory breaches are reported as required. Our platform is also HIPAA-compliant, meaning Protected Health Information (PHI) for US customers is handled securely.
Are Remote Video Consultations Safe?
Yes. NowPatient has specific safeguards and protocols in place. Our video technology platform is certified to the highest industry standards of data security and clinical governance.
What Are the Limitations of the Genetic Medicines Test?
The Genetic Medicines Test is a powerful tool for personalising your care, but it is important to understand its limitations:
Not All Medications Are Covered
The Genetic Medicines Test is designed to identify specific gene–drug interactions, primarily involving the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 enzymes. These enzymes play a key role in processing a wide range of medications, especially antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other frequently prescribed drugs. However, many medications are broken down through other biological pathways. As a result, not all medications you use will be covered by this test. You can check whether your medication could be influenced by the gene test using our eligibility checker.
Negative Predictive Test (NPT)
It is possible that the results of the testing will not help you and your doctor in managing your care. Even if the results narrow down the medication choices, this does not guarantee that those medicines will work for you. There may still be some trial and error involved in finding the most effective treatment.
Only One Part of the Medication Selection Process
Genetics is one of many factors taken into consideration when selecting a medication. Depending on the medication, drug–drug interactions, kidney and liver function, age, weight, and diet can all also play a role.
May Not Catch Rare Variations
Genetic Medicines testing does not evaluate the entire gene. We look for changes that are known to affect how you respond to a drug. You may have a change in your genes that we are not looking for. If that happens, you could have a normal test result and still have differences in how you respond to medications. As more research is completed, different tests may become available in the future.
Genes with Limited Evidence
The Genetic Medicines Test gives us results for many genes. Our clinicians will only make recommendations for genes that have sufficient research to support medication selection guidance. Genes that we do not currently discuss may become clinically important in the future as more evidence emerges.
Are There Any Concerns or Risks I Should Be Aware Of?
Genetic Discrimination and Legal Protections
If you have concerns about the risks of genetic testing with respect to insurance coverage, we refer you to the UK Code on Genetic Testing and Insurance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-on-genetic-testing-and-insurance. This code bars employers and health insurers from discrimination based on genetic testing results.
Disease Risk
This test does not look at disease risk or other health factors. Genetic Medicines testing only looks at genes and their relation to how you respond to certain medications. It is not a diagnostic test for any medical condition.