Precision Health and PGx Podcast

Welcome back to PPN – The Precision Medicine Pharmacist. In part one of our series, Precision Psychiatry in Practice – A Pharmacist–Physician Collaboration, we explored how a collaborative approach can begin to reshape psychiatric care — building trust, aligning perspectives, and creating space for more personalized treatment. Today, we move deeper into what that looks like in real-world, integrat...

Welcome to PPN – The Precision Medicine Pharmacist, the podcast where science, innovation, and collaboration are redefining patient care. We are kicking off a special two-part series titled Precision Psychiatry in Practice – A Pharmacist–Physician Collaboration. In this series, we explore how precision medicine is reshaping mental health treatment — and what becomes possible when pharmacists and p...

Fluoropyrimidines such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and capecitabine remain cornerstone chemotherapies in oncology. However, for patients with certain DPYD gene variants, these commonly used drugs can cause life-threatening toxicities due to impaired metabolism of the active compounds. In this episode of the Precision Medicine Pharmacist Podcast, host Melissa Smith, PharmD, explores how DPYD genotypin...

This episode dives into the future of pharmacy through the lens of pharmacogenomics (PGx). Dr. Melissa Smith speaks with Dr. Vanessa Lesneski about the steep decline in pharmacy school enrollment and how PGx could reignite interest in the profession. They explore how PGx has rapidly evolved from an elective to a core component of pharmacy education, the rise of certification and training pathways,...

Introducing Melissa Smith, PharmD, CPH, CPGx, Founder of Florida PGX Consulting, and the new host of the Precision Health and PGX Podcast! Dr. Melissa is joined by her guests Dr. Jamie Wilkey & Dr. Jackie Boyle to discuss their introduction to precision medicine in PGX, as well as their friendship that encouraged it!

Be sure to tune in to this episode of the Precision Health and PGX Podcast as Dr. Becky Winslow, and Dr. Angela Cassano, PharmFusion Founder and owner, discuss Dr. Cassano’s personal pharmacogenomics testing and how the results impacted her breast cancer treatment, the tamoxifen and CYP2D6 pharmacogenomics clinical utility research currently available, whether CYP2D6 testing for patients prior to...

Be sure to tune in to this episode of the Precision Health and PGX Podcast as Dr. Becky Winslow, CEO of inGENEious RX Incorporated Pharmacogenomics Consulting, and Dr. Megan Landsverk, Scientific Director of MolDX® and Chief Science Officer of Palmetto GBA®, discuss how laboratories may overcome the challenges they face earning MolDX® coverage and reimbursement for their clinical pharmacogenomics...

Equitable biomarker testing access, including pharmacogenomics testing, is critical for patients to experience optimal medication therapy outcomes. Be sure to tune in to this episode of the Precision Health and PGX Podcast as Dr. Becky Winslow, Dr. Behnaz Sarrami, and Hilary Goeckner, Director of State & Local Campaigns - Access to Care of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS...

Be sure to tune in to this episode of the Precision Health and PGX Podcast as Dr. Becky Winslow, Dr. Behnaz Sarrami, and Dr. Jeremy Stuart, Chief Scientific Officer and laboratory director for Precision Genetics, discuss pharmacists value as employees in clinical pharmacogenomics testing laboratories. Having employed pharmacists in his laboratories, Dr. Stuart will provide his first-hand examples...

In this episode, Dr. Mary Weissman, Dr. Lexi Wensel, and Dr. Becky Winslow discuss Medicaid’s coverage of pharmacogenomics testing and Medicaid’s reimbursement of a pharmacist’s time spent provisioning PGx testing and providing PGx inclusive medication therapy management for Medicaid beneficiaries. We teach the listener how to locate, navigate, and understand Medicaid-managed care organizations’ c...

David Hellerstein, MD, is professor of clinical psychiatry and an award-winning writer of  nonfiction and fiction. Books such as Heal Your Brain: How the  New Neuropsychiatry Can Help You Go from Better to Well (2011); A Family of  Doctors (1994), a memoir of 5 generations of doctors in his family; Battles of Life  and Death, an essay collection; and two novels, Loving Touches and Stone Babies. An...

Episode Summary: In recognition of National DNA Day, April 25, 2024, Dr. Mary Weissman, Miss Courtney Harmon, and Dr. Becky Winslow discuss clinical pharmacogenomics resources, what pharmacogenomics information they provide, and how to navigate and utilize the pharmacogenomics information to answer a prescriber’s clinical question about pharmacogenomics' relationship to an adverse drug event.  Lis...

Towny Robinson is the CEO of JayMac Pharmaceuticals and the inventor of EnLyte and EnBrace HR. He is a national expert on Methylation Biochemistry/Genetics and Psychiatric Disorders. Visit his website to learn more: www.enlyterx.com/about-enlyte www.enlyterx.com/about-enlyte Behnaz Disclaimer: These are my personal views and opinions, and I am not speaking on behalf of Castle Biosciences, Inc.  

Special Episode: Travel with us in this journey through the fascinating world of Medical Science Liaison (MSL), new career path for pharmacists! Get firsthand knowledge from the CEO of The MSL Society and how to break into the amazing career path. We are giving away a signed copy of the book "The Medical Science Liaison Career Guide: How to Break Into Your First Role". To the one lucky aspiring MS...

Becky Winslow, BS, PharmD Host and Pharmacogenomics Medical Science Liaison; Behnaz Sarrami, MS, PharmD, Host and Pharmacogenomics Medical Science Liaison; Thierry Dervieux, PharmD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Prometheus Laboratories Disclaimer: Behnaz Disclaimer: These are my personal views and opinions, and I am not speaking on behalf of Castle Biosciences, Inc. Becky Disclaimer: These are...

On this episode, Dr. Avni Santani, Chief Genomics Officer of Let's Get Checked, Dr. Behnaz Sarrami, and I discuss how Let's Get Checked solves several major barriers that have held pharmacogenomics back from becoming the standard of care in medication therapy management, pharmacists' critical and unique role in PGX at Let's Get Checked, and how nontraditional PGx payers are championing for PGx tes...

Explore the realm of pharmacogenomic testing as patients open up about their experiences, sharing stories of both success and tragedy. These courageous guests provide insights into the power of personalized medicine and the crucial lessons learned along the way. A journey from medication struggles to success through pharmacogenomics. A heartbreaking tale of genetic-based medication complications....

Dr. Dave Kisor, a professor and director of pharmacogenomics at Manchester University. He graduated from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in 1986 and completed a two-year fellowship in therapeutic drug monitoring/pharmacokinetics at OSU. Before he joined Manchester, Dave was professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Ohio Northern University after being a research scientist at Burroughs...

Few people with a cause walk the talk as boldly and graciously as Christine Von Raesfeld, founder and CEO of People with Empathy. Christine is a pillar of patient advocacy and allyship in the rare and chronic disease community. Through the lens of her lived experiences in healthcare, she has become a champion for patient voices, diversity and inclusion in clinical research, and equitable patient-s...

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is a potentially life-threatening pregnancy disease that may cause weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration, and debility due to severe nausea and/or vomiting, and may cause long-term health issues for mother and baby(ies). It occurs in up to 3% of pregnant women and may last the entire pregnancy, which can lead to malnourished. Dr. Danielle Plummer has unfortunately been...

DYPD is a gene that provides instructions for making an enzyme called dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). This enzyme plays very important in breaking down a substance called uracil, which is found in our DNA and RNA. Mutations in the DYPD gene can lead to decreased or absent DPD activity, which if you think about it can cause a buildup of uracil in the body.  If someone is DPD deficiency it ca...

Pharmacogenomics consulting isn't the glamorous and highly lucrative career path some voices in the pharmacogenomics industry portray it to be... In this episode, Behnaz and Becky dispel the "get rich quick" myth about PGx and discuss what pharmacists need to know “beyond the PGX certificate” to be successful creating a career in pharmacogenomics as they have. So, don't quit your full time pharmac...

In this episode of the PGx for Pharmacists Podcast, Behnaz and Becky take a break from interviewing other pharmacogenomics experts and share their expert opinions on current pressing issues and future projections for the pharmacogenomics industry. In addition, Behnaz and Becky drop a few hints on what listeners can look forward to from the PGx for Pharmacists Podcast starting in 2023. www.stoplabc...

Dr. Lucas Berenbrok is a pharmacist educator and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He co-led the implementation of outpatient pharmacogenomic services at University of Pittsburg Medical Center. This unique service, called Primary Care Precision Medicine, provides pharmacogenetic and genetic testing to patients in local and surrounding areas....

Dr. Larry Shapiro is a clinical psychologist that started back in 1990 but quote on quote retired to become a financial advisor. He was having a discussion with his brother one day, who was a career officer in the Army, returning from Afghanistan. That make Dr. Shapiro to re-think about his contributions to his community, so he got his license back, trained in military trauma, and started again as...