Articles

Adderall and Xanax are sometimes prescribed together, but the combination carries real risks. Learn why a stimulant can mask Xanax's effects, safer ways to manage anxiety with ADHD, and how genes like CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 affect these drugs.

Written by pharmacist and nutritionist Dora Chan, this guide shares six steps to reduce chronic pain: limit sugar and inflammatory foods, eat anti-inflammatory foods, feed your gut microbiome, supplement wisely and choose the right medication.

Pharmacogenetic testing helps prescribers anticipate how patients metabolize medications. Learn what recent trials, CPIC and CANMAT guidelines say, when testing is most useful, how it is covered and how Pillcheck pharmacists support you.

How can pharmacogenetics make health benefit plans more inclusive of our biological diversity? This Pillcheck webinar features experts in human genetics and pharmacy, and results from a randomized controlled trial of Pillcheck pharmacogenetic testing.

In episode #2003 of the It's Never Too Late To Be Healthy podcast, "Better Sooner", host Kevin Brady and Pillcheck CEO Veronika Litinski discuss how software and science together make precision medicine practical, and why pharmacogenetic testing matters...

Tecta (pantoprazole) treats heartburn, reflux and ulcers, but it doesn't work the same for everyone. Learn how CYP2C19 genes affect Tecta and other PPIs, and when guidelines suggest a higher or lower dose.

Why do some painkillers work for one person but not another? Learn how genes such as CYP2D6, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 affect opioids, NSAIDs, antidepressants and other chronic pain treatments, and how testing helps choose safer options.

A new clinical trial at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) followed 276 patients for 52 weeks. Symptoms improved faster when treatment was matched to patients' DNA, adding to evidence that pharmacogenetics helps treat severe depression.

Plan sponsors are looking for ways to manage the cost of biologic medications. Learn why genetic tests cannot yet predict who will respond to biologics for autoimmune diseases, what does help, such as drug-level monitoring and biosimilars, and...

Seniors with dementia in long-term care often take many medications. In a CABHI-funded study in four Ontario long-term care homes, pharmacist reviews supported by Pillcheck found 114 drug therapy problems in 90 residents, with key opportunities to improve...

What really works for osteoarthritis pain? Learn what guidelines recommend, from exercise and weight loss to NSAIDs, injections and supplements, and how your CYP2C9 genes affect the safety of celecoxib, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs.

Statins are safe and effective for most people. Learn how the genes SLCO1B1, ABCG2 and CYP2C9, and drug and food interactions through CYP3A4, affect muscle side effects, and how testing helps choose the right statin.

Most employees in underrepresented groups don't feel they benefit from DEI programs. Learn how historical biases in drug research affect patients, why genetic variation matters, and how pharmacogenetics in health benefits makes DEI tangible.

Patients increasingly bring pharmacogenomic (PGx) test results to psychiatric appointments. Based on a Canadian Journal of Psychiatry paper, learn how to judge whether a PGx test is reliable, why recommendations are specific to each gene-drug pair, how drug...

PTSD is often treated with psychotherapy and medications such as sertraline, paroxetine and prazosin. Learn how PTSD is treated, how CYP2D6, CYP2C19 and other genes affect these medications, and how pharmacogenetic testing helps.

An early 2020 survey linked proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Tecta to COVID-19, but larger studies did not confirm a higher risk of infection. Learn what the evidence shows, which long-term PPI risks are real, and how...

Some antidepressants can stop codeine, tramadol and hydrocodone from relieving pain by blocking the CYP2D6 enzyme. Learn which antidepressants and painkillers interact, how your genes add to the risk, and safer combinations to discuss with your doctor.

Pharmacogenetic testing in a benefits plan is a win for employees, employers and insurers. Learn how PGx helps lower plan costs, invests in employee health and equity, and gives advisors a unique, cutting-edge benefit to offer clients.

How accurate is pharmacogenetic testing? Learn what makes a clinical PGx test reliable, why the variants tested and extra copies of CYP2D6 matter for people of every ancestry, what a genetic result cannot tell you, and how to...

Canada Life health insurance members get preferred pricing on Pillcheck, a DNA-based medication review with a personalized report and pharmacist review. Learn how to order through My Canada Life at Work and read the original January 2021 announcement.