PgX Pharmacogenomics Test

Forensic Genomics Innovation Hub (FGIH) provides clinically oriented DNA testing from its UK laboratory, supporting healthcare practitioners and individuals with actionable genetic insights. The Pharmacogenomics Test is a comprehensive panel that examines variations in 39 genes involved in drug metabolism and response. It shows how an individual’s DNA influences the way prescribed and over-the-counter medications are processed, so dosing and selection can be guided by actual metabolic capacity rather than by trial and error alone.

Normal drug metabolism depends on enzymes (particularly the cytochrome P450 family and other transporters and targets) that convert medications into active or inactive forms, control their clearance, and influence how they reach their sites of action. Variations in the genes that code for these enzymes produce different metaboliser phenotypes—poor, intermediate, normal, rapid, or ultra-rapid. A poor metaboliser may accumulate a drug and experience side-effects or toxicity at standard doses; an ultra-rapid metaboliser may clear it so quickly that the same dose is ineffective. These differences cannot be predicted from age, sex, or clinical history alone. The test reports only genes and variants with documented clinical guidance, translating genotype into practical recommendations for medication choice and dose adjustment.

What it Covers and why it's clinically relevant

The panel covers 39 genes that affect response to many commonly used medications across cardiovascular and stroke prevention (including clopidogrel), mental health, neurological and pain conditions, oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and other therapeutic areas. The medication list expands as new evidence is published. Results are interpreted using tools such as ReviewGx and TreatGx, which can incorporate additional clinical data (current and past medications, organ function, allergies, and comorbidities). Because DNA does not change, the test is performed once and can be re-reviewed later when new medications are considered.

Clinically, the profile is used when medication response, side-effects, or treatment failure is in question—patients taking multiple drugs, those with cardiovascular risk on antiplatelet therapy, individuals prescribed antidepressants or antipsychotics, people starting hormone therapy, and anyone seeking to reduce the risk of adverse reactions or ineffective treatment. It helps direct selection of alternative agents or adjusted doses and supports safer, more effective prescribing while acknowledging that non-genetic factors (drug–drug interactions, age, weight, liver or kidney function) also influence outcomes.

Test specifications

Sample type: Buccal swab (epithelial cells from the inside of the mouth).

Key markers: Variants in 39 genes responsible for drug metabolism and response; clinically actionable recommendations for commonly used medications across cardiovascular, mental health, neurological, pain, contraceptive, and hormone-therapy categories.

Turnaround Time: 20 days

Sample Report