Genetic Testing

Everyone has heard of genetic testing, most likely those of Ancestry DNA or 23 You and Me. They are direct to consumer genetic testing kits to show you who your ancestors are or to give you a general idea of your DNA to better understand you. However, there are other ways that learning about your DNA can help you better understand your health and the way your body responds to medications. There are companies, I run one of them, that can learn the underlying reason behind your symptoms of diseases or drowsiness or hormone issues by simply swabbing your cheeks. 

Have you ever wondered why you are so tired all the time? Or why you have digestive issues or your family has a history of cancers? Maybe you are a woman who has had one or several miscarriages? Instead of paying thousands of dollars for that exploratory surgery your doctor mentioned or going to the doctor for more and more tests, you can have your cheeks swabbed for a fraction of the price and find the underlying reason behind your health problems. We can use that information to write up a personalized health plan and find the supplements that can aid in the areas your DNA is struggling with. In Van Buren, we have a company called M. Flanagan Consulting, we work with Wholistic Health and offer genetic testing for a variety of diseases and symptoms. By doing this, we can figure out how to help you in a personalized way instead of using the generalized information that is supposed to work for everyone. 

There is also a genetic test that can be done to inform you of which medications work best for you as an individual. This test can save you money, time, and frustration by getting all the guesswork out of the way. Instead of having to try several anxiety or depression medications with no help before finding the only one that works for you, you get one cheek swab and it tells you the exact medication that will give you the relief you desire. The same goes for pain medications.

Our goal is to give individualized care to our patients. As a pharmacist who worked in the retail pharmacy field, I noticed there is a gap between the physicians' offices and the pharmacies. This causes confusion and frustration for you, the patient. My company was built on the foundation of wanting to help patients have a more closed circle of healthcare with individualized information for you depending on your individualized problems. We work as wellness advocates for our patients and speak with the physicians on your behalf, as you need, to make sure your wants and needs are being relayed correctly to the physician. We fully believe the patient knows best when it comes to your care and we will do whatever is needed to make sure your ideas are incorporated into your healthcare.