Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about pharmacogenetic testing, clinical applications, and how Abomics helps healthcare providers turn genetic data into safer, more personalized treatment decisions. Whether you're new to PGx or looking to integrate it into your clinical workflow, this section is here to help.
Looking for more detail? Explore our Insights for expert insights on pharmacogenetics and personalized prescribing.

Understanding pharmacogenetics

Pharmacogenomics examines how your genes influence the way medicines work in your body. Using PGx insights, clinicians can select and dose treatments more precisely, reducing trial‑and‑error and the risk of adverse drug reactions.

Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing analyzes specific variations in your DNA to understand how you are likely to respond to medicines. Test sample is typically taken as a cheek swab or a blood draw.

When medications have known gene–drug interactions (e.g., in cardiology, neurology, psychiatry) or when there’s prior lack of efficacy or adverse reactions.

A genotype refers to the specific genetic variants you carry in a given gene — the pair of alleles you inherit from your parents. For example, a genotype may be written as A/C for a particular SNP, meaning one allele came from each parent. Your genotype forms the basis for predicting your phenotype and helps determine how your body may respond to certain medications.

A phenotype describes how your genetic information translates into a functional trait for example, how quickly your body metabolizes a medication. It is the clinically meaningful outcome derived from your genotype and used to guide safer, more effective prescribing.

A metabolizer status describes how efficiently your body processes certain medicines based on your genetic profile. It is determined by analyzing variations in genes that code for drug‑metabolizing enzymes. Genetic differences can make enzymes work faster, slower, or not at all.

Genetic variations can significantly influence how your body processes certain medicines. The most affected drug groups include:

  • Cardiovascular drugs: e.g., clopidogrel, warfarin, and some beta-blockers
  • Psychiatric and neurological medications: e.g. citalopram, escitalopram
  • Pain management drugs: e.g., codeine and tramadol
  • Oncology and immunosuppressants: e.g., thiopurines
  • Other high-risk categories including some antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors.

Pharmacogenetics is essential for patient safety because it helps prevent harmful drug reactions and improves treatment effectiveness. Standard doses don’t work the same for everyone. For people who metabolize drugs faster or slower than average, a typical dose may lead to side effects or provide little benefit.

With pharmacogenetic insights, clinicians can tailor medication choices and doses to each individual. This reduces trial-and-error prescribing, lowers the risk of adverse effects, and improves treatment outcomes.

Pharmacogenetics focuses to optimize medication selection and dosing. Whereas a genetic testing for diseases aims to diagnose a condition or estimate disease risk.

Through healthcare providers and laboratories partnering with Abomics.

About Abomics and its solutions

Abomics is a Finnish health technology company specializing in pharmacogenetics. We provide clinically validated pharmacogenetic interpretation service, medical databases, and integrated IT health tools that help healthcare professionals make safer, more personalized prescribing decisions. 

We transform raw genetic data into actionable insights for everyday clinical use. Our interpretation service offers a clear, guideline-based medication recommendations, reviewed by medical professionals. These reports integrate seamlessly with electronic health records via API or secure portal, ensuring clinicians can make personalized prescribing decisions.

Abomics' pharmacogenetic interpretation service delivers comprehensive report that includes 29 genes and recommendations for almost 300 medications with clinically significant PGx effects. The content is aligned to international guidelines and Abomics’ curated evidence. (Full per‑customer gene/medication lists are defined during onboarding/agreements.)

PGx can benefit many patients across multiple specialties; almost everyone carries at least one variant affecting medication response. Final suitability is determined by the treating clinician.

Clinician‑oriented reports with genotypes, phenotypes, affected drugs, and dosing/alert texts. Delivery via portal, API (JSON/PDF), or SFTP; patients can view via GeneAccount.

Through a REST API exposing structured JSON and links to PDFs, enabling embedding of PGx results and GeneRx‑based recommendations directly into clinical workflows.

Supported JSON via REST API; PDF/TXT for reports; file exchange via SFTP.

Yes. The databases and reports are designed for integration into EHR/LIS and other clinical software through API/SFTP, with configurable delivery formats.

Timelines depend on scope, IT environment, and chosen integration path (portal vs. API/SFTP). Abomics provides onboarding and integration guidance; contact the team to scope your setup.

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Sami Miettinen

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