Pharmacogenetic-Directed Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications (PREDICT PSYMEDS)

The Medco Research Institute^® and AssureRx Health Inc. initiated the PREDICT PSYMEDS pilot [Pharmacogenetic-Directed Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications] to evaluate antidepressant and antipsychotic drug adherence and medical care utilization by Medco members after being genotyped with AssureRx's GeneSightRx, a multi-gene pharmacogenetic profile test.

GeneSightRx measures and analyzes multiple clinically important genetic variants that can help physicians understand the way a patient's unique genetic makeup affects his or her ability to tolerate or effectively respond to certain psychotropic medications.

The Medco Research Institute will identify 2,000 Medco members for GeneSightRx testing who are currently taking one or more of 26 FDA-approved antidepressant and antipsychotic medications and who switched or added psychotropic medications within a prior three-month period.

Upon physician test requisition, GeneSightRx testing will involve participants' submission of a cheek swab to AssureRx's dedicated CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited genotyping laboratory followed by the issuance of a lab report to the patients' prescribing physician and to the Medco Research Institute. Participants' pharmacy and medical claims will be followed for a one-year period post testing. The patients who receive the test will be compared to matched controls from Medco's longitudinal pharmacy and medical claims databases. The PREDICT PSYMEDS pilot is expected to determine whether members will become more adherent to their medications and have fewer medical claims after being genotyped with GeneSightRx.