Product information


Pillcheck covers over 70% of prescription drugs routinely used to treat a wide range of medical conditions. Because a person’s genetics don’t change over time, Pillcheck can be referenced throughout life, whenever new medications are considered. Below are the number of drugs reported by therapeutic area.

Therapeutic area # drugs
Analgesics 25
Antibacterials 3
Antiemetics 9
Antifungals 4
Antivirals 10
Cardiovascular 49
Dermatology and Dental 2
Endocrinology 1
Gastroenterology 7
Therapeutic area (cont.) # drugs
Gynecology 6
Hematology 10
Immune Therapy 10
Neurology 19
Oncology 29
Psychiatry 71
Pulmonology 4
Rheumatology 6
Urology 5

The patient collects a DNA sample at home using a simple, non-invasive cheek swab and mails it to the lab via a prepaid return envelope.

Pillcheck samples are currently processed at the Dynacare lab in Laval, Quebec. This lab has the following accreditations:

  • ISO 15189:  International accreditation for medical laboratories
  • COLA: COLA is a medical lab accreditation demonstrating compliance with CLIA requirements (US federal regulations governing the operation of medical laboratories).  Of note, CLIA is an American certification needed only for serving USA customers, and CLIA does not apply in Canada.

Several clinical diagnostic laboratories in the USA, Canada, and the EU independently validated the Pillcheck bioinformatics system.

The Pillcheck genotyping panel is optimized to maximize sensitivity and specificity, and to ensure accurate results for the ethnically diverse population in Canada by including multiple ethnic-specific alleles.

Gene Alleles tested
ABCG2 rs2231142 G/T
ADRB2 rs1042713 G/A
CYP1A2 *1E, *1F, *1J, *1K, *6, *7, *8, *15
CYP2B6 *2, *5, *6, *7, *8, *13, *16, *22, *34
CYP2C19 *2, *3, *4, *6, *8, *10, *17
CYP2C8 *2, *3, *4
CYP2C9 *2, *3, *5, *6, *8, *9, *11, *12, *27
CYP2D6 *3, *4, *5, *6, *7, *9, *10, *17, *29, *41, *64, *69, *82, *109
CYP3A4 *3, *6, *11, *12, *16, *17, *18, *19, *22
CYP3A5 *2, *3, *6
DPYD *2A, *4, *5, *6, *9A, c.2846A>T
F2 rs1799963 G/A
F5 rs6025 C/T
G6PD Malaga, Mediterranean, Aveiro, Iowa, Nashville, Santiago de Cuba, Kaiping
NAT2 *4, *5A, *5B, *5E, *5P, *6A, *6C, *7C
NUDT15 *2, *5
OPRM1 rs1799971 (A118G) A/G
SLCO1B1 *1B, *5, *9, *15, *31
TPMT *2, *3A, *8
UGT1A1 *6, *27, *80
UGT2B15 rs1902023 A/C
VKORC1 rs9923231 C/T

Pillcheck includes a personalized report that predicts drug response to all medications covered by the test, based on the individual’s genetic profile.

The service also includes a review of the patient’s medications by a clinical pharmacist who is specially trained in pharmacogenetics. The pharmacist produces a Pharmacist Opinion Letter (POL), which provides individuals and their physicians with a summary of key findings of the test along with recommendations on dose adjustment or drug switch when warranted.


Many insurance plans cover Pillcheck under extended healthcare benefits. Patients may be required to submit a physician requisition or prescription for Pillcheck in order to be eligible for reimbursement. Patients should check with their plan for more details about eligibility and coverage requirements. Pillcheck does not currently adjudicate billings and reimbursement on behalf of the patient.

Pillcheck reporting follows established genetics-based prescribing guidelines and drug labels from the following sources:

Regulatory bodies International consortia
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC)
Health Canada (HCSC) Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG)
European Medicines Agency (EMA)
SwissMedic

 

Access up-to-date guidelines

Pillcheck results are dynamic, not static, and are accessible through an interactive online viewer. Results are updated over time to reflect the latest PGx guidelines and new drugs as they can be added. A PDF copy of results is also available for download. See how patients and prescribers use Pillcheck results.

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