Incorporation of Herbal Supplements into a Pharmacogenomic Medication Therapy Management Practice

Personalized medicine, including direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing, is becoming a more common patient-centered approach to pharmacotherapy. However, DTC testing companies may not provide adequate information and follow-up to patients after genetic testing is done. This article is the first report describing a medication therapy management pharmacotherapy service that specializes in pharmacogenomic counseling, specifically geared toward identifying implications of dietary and herbal supplements. A pharmacist provides a comprehensive review of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic consequences of a patient's herbal substances, and counseling is provided on subsequent drug therapy effects. If properly implemented, offering a pharmacogenomic medication therapy management service that specializes in the use of herbal supplements provides patients with education on the safe use of these substances based on their genetic factors.