1. Who can benefit from Pharmacogenetic testing with Inagene Personalized Insights?
Anyone who is taking, or considering taking, any of the medications on our drug list can benefit from taking a Personalized Insights™ pharmacogenetic test. Testing may be especially beneficial for those taking more than one medication, and/or those who have experienced unusual responses to medications in the past (lack of efficacy or unexpected side effects at standard doses). Testing can also be helpful to support de-prescribing (by identifying which medications may be providing little benefit or driving side effects/drug-drug interactions).
The Precision Pain and Mental Health test is recommended for anyone currently receiving or considering treatment for pain or a mental health condition, and may also help to optimize pain management for anyone who will be undergoing a surgical procedure.
2. What resources are available for partner pharmacies to promote the pharmacogenetic testing service to clients?
Inagene provides a full suite of promotional tools to support partner pharmacies in promoting their new pharmacogenetic testing service to clients/patients, and to prescribers in the surrounding area. This includes posters, patient handouts, a bank of sample social media posts, and information that can be emailed to prescribers. All materials can be co-branded with your pharmacy’s branding and contact information.
3. Why are some medications not included in the test?
Personalized Insights™ tests include all medications that have recognized gene-drug interactions supported with a sufficient level of evidence. If a drug is NOT included on our test(s), it is because no drug-gene interaction has been identified that is supported with a sufficient level of evidence.
4. The PrecisionRx test includes some pain and mental health medications, but not as many as are included in the Precision Pain and Mental Health test – why?
Inagene Personalized Insights™ Precision Pain and Mental Health is designed to provide maximal insights for those being treated for pain and/or mental health-related conditions, and tests for 55 genes and 116 variants specifically linked to responses to the common medications used to treat these conditions. Including ONLY the genes and variants linked to these conditions allows this test to go deeper and provide insights on more medications for pain and mental health than other pharmacogenetic tests, including some preliminary data, as well as a full cannabis/ cannabinoid panel, and research variants on risk of cannabis and Opioid dependency.
Personalized Insights™ PrecisionRx includes only those drugs and recommendations supported with higher levels of evidence (Level 2B and above), resulting in the inclusion of roughly half of the pain and mental health drugs that are included in the Precision Pain and Mental Health test.
5. Do patients need the test to be ordered by a prescriber?
No, patients can order the test directly from Inagene.com, or purchase it directly from select pharmacies.
6. Does Inagene offer a payment (installment) plan?
Yes. Online purchase at Inagene.com provides the option for payment via four installments.
7. How do I open a HCP Portal Account?
Go to patients.inagene.com, click on “Register” and follow the instructions provided. Make sure to select “Healthcare Provider” as your user type. Detailed instructions can also be found here.
8. How long does it take to get the results?
Results are posted to Inagene’s secure portal within 5 – 7 days of receipt of the sample at Inagene’s Toronto based lab.
9. How long does counselling of patients on results typically take and what is involved?
Counselling on PGx results can typically be done within 20 – 40 minutes. Inagene’s reports are uniquely designed to be simple for consumers to understand, which helps minimize counselling time required. Inagene provides training support, counselling tools and detailed FAQ documents to streamline the counselling process.
10. How are results shared between the pharmacist and the patient?
Results are posted to the Inagene Portal within 5 – 7 days of receipt of the sample at Inagene’s Toronto based lab. Either the HCP/pharmacist or the patient registers the test kit on the Inagene Portal (using the unique 14 – digit code found in the test kit). The option is provided to share access to the results with another party at the time the kit is registered, by including the individual’s name and email address (eg. the pharmacist can cc the patient or vice versa at the time of kit registration). The individual who registered the kit receives notifications and access to the results when ready, as does the individual who was cc’d. Results can also be shared at any time by clicking on “Access Overview” and “Add New Access” and filling in the information. The patient can view who has access to their online report via the Access Overview, and can remove access at any time.
11. How are results shared with prescribers?
Results can be shared with other HCPs involved in the patient’s care at any time once they have been posted to the portal account. A PDF of a “HCP Report” can be downloaded and emailed or faxed directly from the online report itself. Access to the online report can also be shared from the Reports Page on the Portal by clicking on “Access Overview” and “Add New Access”, and filling in the person’s contact information. Patients and pharmacists who are sharing access to the online report are also presented with the option to answer 5 drop-down questions to generate a PERSONALIZED SUMMARY LETTER, directing the reader to the most pertinent information regarding the patient’s results.
Patients can view who has access to their online report via the Access Overview, and can remove access at any time.
12. What if Patients or prescribers have questions that I am unable to answer?
Inagene’s support staff and geneticists are available to support partner pharmacies and clinics with questions as needed. Reach out with questions at anytime at info@inagene.com
13. Where do I access training and counselling support tools?
Training resources and counselling support tools can be accessed at anytime via the TOOLKIT section on your Healthcare Provider portal account
14. Can I offer my patients/clients a discount?
Partner pharmacies are free to use a portion of the referral payment (difference between the wholesale and retail price) provided to offer their patient a discount if desired. Contact info@inagene.com to arrange for an automatic discount on online purchases based on the use of your unique promo code.
15. My patient wants to discuss the Personalized Insights™ test with their prescriber before ordering. What information can they provide to the prescriber?
Click here to download a Summary for Prescribers (with helpful links and Inagene contact info embedded) that can be provided to the patient to send/take to their prescriber.
16. Are PGx tests covered by insurers?
Many private insurers are now covering PGx testing, however whether the patient has coverage (and under what circumstances) is typically dependant on the specific plan provided/selected by/from the employer. Pgx testing is often covered under Health Care Spending Accounts, and is covered under some paramedical benefits under “diagnostic tests”. For more information and resources click here.
17. How is patient privacy assured?
Patients must consent to testing being performed, and healthcare providers ordering/registering the test must indicate that they have the patient’s permission to order the test, and that the patient has been provided with access to Inagene’s Privacy and Consent Policy. Healthcare providers sharing results with other HCPs are prompted to confirm that they have the patient’s consent to share access to the results. Patients can view who has access to their online report via the Access Overview, and can remove access at any time.
18. Can ordering a PGx test affect a patient’s ability to get health insurance?
No. Inagene does not share or sell data to third parties, and comprehensive physical, electronic and procedural safeguards are in place to protect against unauthorized use, access, alteration, duplication, destruction, disclosure, loss or theft of our clients’ personal information. Canadian legislation prevents employers, insurance companies or anyone else from asking individuals to disclose their genetic test results, and prevents test results being used to deny provision of insurance benefits.