Pharmacogenomics

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how your genes can affect your body's response to, and interaction with, some medications. At Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin, our providers use this type of genetic test as a tool to identify the right medication for you.

Factors affecting how you respond to medication include:

• Age
• Illness or organ dysfunction, especially kidney or liver function
• Food interactions
• Genetics
• Other medications
• Race and ethnicity
• Sex
• Smoking and alcohol use

These departments in Austin utilize pharmacogenomic testing:

• Anesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Psychiatry & Psychology

Your health care provider may order pharmacogenomic testing to guide your medication use for reasons, including to:

• Identify a medication or dose most likely to work for you before you take it
• Avoid or prevent serious side effects related to certain medications
• Adjust the dose of a current medication or recommend a different medication

Pharmacogenomic testing does not apply to all medications, address all drug side effects or drug allergies, or explain drug-drug interactions or drug-food interactions.