24 Hour Genetic Testing at Your Local Walgreens Pharmacy
Courtesy of Pathway Genomics and Walgreens Pharmacy, on Friday in 7500 pharmacies around the nation, you too can send your spit off for genetic analysis and find out your genetic predisposition for a wide range of conditions including breast cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease, says ABC News.
And how's this for over-promising? Pathway says that the test can be used "to forecast what genetic disorders future children might have, and weigh the likelihood that they'll become obese or go blind", says ABC. Gee, I think I missed the headline where they found the "fat gene".
Of course, over-the-counter genetic tests have been debated to death and the ethical issues are obvious, but what I'd love to see at my Walgreens pharmacy on Friday is someone going up to the pharmacy counter and speaking to the pharmacist about whether to take such a test. Or better yet, when the giant report comes back from Pathway Genomics, which includes test results for "drug responses and adverse reactions", I'd love to see a pharmacist react to the endless questions that any average person would have to having a gene that gives you a increased rate of caffeine metabolism or might predispose you to statin induced myopathy.
Why am I picking on pharmacists? Well, I surmise that people who purchase these products at the pharmacy will go back to the pharmacy (heck, many are open 24-7) to ask questions about their results. The logic being--if they sell the product, they ought to be able to help me with these results when I get them, right?
But even when the pharmacist does a woefully inadequate job interpreting the risk factors and what they mean for any given test-taker, a physician, as we all know, is unlikely to do much better interpreting these over-the-counter test results.
But maybe this is all much ado about nothing. Maybe few will purchase these over-the-counter tests. But who will? Those who are curious and then will likely spend hours on Google trying to decipher the result themselves and then those who believe, based on family history or other factors that they are at risk of some genetic condition. But then who will help them decipher what their results mean? Who will help them from being either the worried well or deal with a meaningful result?
Therein lies the problem and it's one that neither Walgreens nor Pathway Genomics have even begun to resolve.
Summer Johnson, PhD
contribute a comment
Your contributions to the conversation are very much appreciated. We do have a few simple guidelines, though. Be civil. Stay on topic. We reserve the right to remove comments that violate the aforementioned guidelines. One more thing: comments are moderated, so it may take a little while for your comment to be posted. Thanks.
comments
This seems irresponsible on the part of Walgreens and Pathway Genomics, maybe they'll provide a 24 hour hotline to a genetics counselor, which I doubt will be included in the cost.
- by lisa on May 11, 2010 at 12:14 PM | link
Once again the almighty dollar clouds the reasonable and/or responsible. Consider that the Red Cross had to adopt an 'opt out' for those who know they have engaged in high risk behavior, but feel pressured to donate blood, I can only image the damage when group pressure conspires against a person to be tested. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.
- by benita zahn on May 11, 2010 at 1:04 PM | link
It would seem that Lisa and Benita weren't the only ones who thought offering the test without regulation and oversight was irresponsible. Within days of this announcement by Walgreens and Pathway Genetics, the FDA announced that it would be looking into the legality of offering the test without FDA approval. So sorry everyone it looks like you won't be able to get a genetic test over-the-counter 24 hours a day just quite yet.
- by Summer Johnson on May 14, 2010 at 6:19 PM | link
i wonder if these results are held in the strictest of confidence or would the results be shared with insurance companies or can insurance companies use this information to deny coverage.
i agree that having the information is not enough...having someone to help interpret the meaning of the results and where to go after the consultation is a beginning.
although i would never want to hear adverse health news from my doctor, i surely do not want to be informed at a walk up (non confidential) consultation counter at walgreens!
- by kathryn welch on May 16, 2010 at 8:14 PM | link
This is a very interesting topic. I had no idea Walgreens was doing such sort of genetic testing.... But with this, it opens up a whole can of worms... Such as will people run into problems with insurance or getting treatment if they are known to have a genetic pre-disposition? Will this information be sold to drug companies and possibly used against the consumer?
- by Gene Clemson on Jul 1, 2010 at 11:09 AM | link