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Right drug. Right dose. Right person.
We are all genetically unique, and so is our response to medication. As a plan member, you can receive preferred pricing for drug compatibility tests that can identify which drugs work best for you.
Drug Compatibility Test
If you or an eligible dependent are concerned about or currently experiencing problems with a medication, a drug compatibility test1 could help.
What is a drug compatibility test?
When it comes to drug treatment, one size does not always fit all. In Canada, there are approximately 200,000 severe adverse drug reactions every year2.
- Genetic factors can account for up to 95% of individual variation in drug response3.
- More than 1 in 5 Canadians live with a chronic illness4, but many are not being prescribed the right drug.
A drug compatibility test checks for the presence of genetic markers to help predict what medications are the safest to prescribe for an individual. The test is non-invasive and requires only a simple cheek swab that takes less than five minutes to do.
How can the test help me?
Once the test is complete, you will receive a report with clinically validated drug and dosing recommendations for the most commonly prescribed drugs. The report is also available to your doctor, who can then prescribe the correct dose of the right drug, reducing the chances of an adverse reaction or harmful side-effects.
Which drugs are eligible for testing?
Testing is available for drugs used to support mental health, chronic pain, and neurological conditions. Speak with a pharmacist at Personalized Prescribing Inc. to see if this test is right for you. The drugs that Personalized Prescribing Inc. provide recommendations for can be found on their searchable Drug List.
Are my results confidential?
Yes. Your information will never be shared with anyone—not your employer, insurance company or the government.
What is the cost?
If you are currently on or planning to start a drug for mental illness, the cost of the test may be covered by your Extended Health Coverage, subject to plan design (e.g. coinsurance and deductible). If you are on a disability claim due to a mental health condition, and are deemed eligible for a test, there is no cost to you.
We have partnered with Personalized Prescribing Inc. to provide you with access to the test at a preferred price. All plan members will save 20% off the full market price of the test.
What People are Saying…
“The medication my daughter was taking was not right for her and it was actually making her symptoms worse. The drug compatibility test results gave us a list of 16 other drugs that would work for her instead. Her doctor switched her to one of these drugs and within a couple of weeks my daughter was laughing and back to her normal self again. Thank you for saving my daughter’s life.”
“It’s been a few months since I got my results back from your service, and things have changed quite drastically. For the first time in years I feel like I have full control over my emotions. There aren’t even any side effects. Sure, my life isn’t perfect, but your program is a landmark moment in it. Thank you so much for your help, and I wish you all the luck in the future.”
Want to Know More?
To learn more, please contact Personalized Prescribing Inc.
By providing access to this test, RBC Insurance is not giving medical advice to change drugs. The test results are provided to help you and your physicians make decisions about your prescription medications.
Adverse drug events costly to health care system: Vancouver Coastal Health-UBC research, University of British Columbia press release, February 25, 2011, accessed August 9, 2016 from http://cpnds.ubc.ca/faqs/adverse-drug-reactions
Kalow W, Tang BK, Endrenyi L. Hypothesis: comparisons of inter- and intra-individual variations can substitute for twin studies in drug research. Pharmacogenetics. 1998;8(4):283–289
How healthy are Canadians? Government of Canada, 2017
The test is not currently used for biologic drugs, which are specialized drugs derived from living cells to treat many chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer.