Pharmdna, LLC, Fortson, GA (2025)

05/03/2024

I wanted to let you all know that I now have an account setup through my business to be able to order very high quality vitamins and supplements (which are sometimes also sold at specialty doctor clinics and wellness shops) at a discount. If you’re interested, send me your email and I’ll add you to have access to my full catalog. I’ll also be happy to make any product recommendations, if needed.

12/23/2023

Wishing you happiness and joy this season!

10/31/2023

Every time you take your daily medications, or start a new medication, without having the benefit of a test, you're taking a risk, whether you know it or not.

Changes in your DNA that have been inherited from your parents can influence how well, or poorly, your body processes hundreds of medications. Some of these genetic features can lead to severe side effects or even death if the wrong medication is given to you!

A simple cheek swab can provide useful guidance for a lifetime of decisions on hundreds of medications! Contact me for more information.

10/30/2023

There are several genes which are important for your body to correctly process many treatments. This image I created shows the most important genes and underneath the gene name are some of the specific cancer treatments which can be affected by variations in that gene.

Universal testing for these genetic variations is not standard in the USA. It should be! Changes in these genes can lead to patients experiencing severe toxicities and even death (if toxicities are severe enough)! Some genetic changes can lead to the treatments being less effective for you! 😟

If you’re already fighting for your life, why take a chance on severe side effects, ineffective treatments or even death? Let’s personalize your treatment to YOUR genetic features. I’m ready to help you!

10/29/2023

PGx (pharmacogenomics) is the study of genetic influences on your drug therapy. We can test your status for the “pharmacogenes” (drug-influencing genes) and this can help me make recommendations about your drug therapy. It’s a truly personalized approach to drug therapy!✅

Here I’ve listed those patients that are most likely to benefit from a PGx test. 🧬💊

Do you fit into one of these categories? Do you know someone who does? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’d love to get you on the path towards precision medicine. Let’s get your meds right! 👏🏽

10/28/2023

I’m most definitely biased, but I think that pharmacists are amazing! 😎😎😎

DID YOU KNOW??? 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

Pharmacists can go to college for 6-8 years (or more), and can practice in a wide variety of settings: private consulting, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, long-term care facilities, mental health facilities, prisons, cancer centers, research and academic centers, even sports performance and beauty industries (among others)! 🤩

Pharmacists are your best source of information for prescription medication, herbs, supplements, and over-the-counter drug products. 💊

Pharmacists can do additional training in the form of residencies, fellowships, and they can become board certified in a variety of speciality areas as well. 🤓

Did you learn anything new about pharmacists from my post today??? 🤷🏻‍♀️

If so, please share what you learned in the comments! 😃

10/27/2023

Wow! Alice!!! 😆

She sounds like my kinda girl, actually! We would’ve probably gotten along quite well! 😉

(Although I do not condone smoking.) 😐

I thought this was hilarious when I read it. She must’ve really been a fearsome daughter to raise! 😅

I wonder what she thought about her father saying this. 🤔😅

It sounds like her father knew his limits! 😅

Enjoy your weekend, everyone! 😎

10/26/2023

Most regrets in life are for chances NOT TAKEN.

Do you have a dream? What are you actively doing to pursue it?

is about letting your passion for your dream be bigger than your fear of failure.

God gave you that passion for a reason. Use your skills. Use them in that passion. This is your purpose.

I can tell you from my own experience that chasing your dream isn't for the faint of heart! BUT finding your passion, and finding an avenue to thrive with it, is EXHILARATING.

It was definitely SO WORTH the risk!

What do you think about this quote? Please share in the comments below!

10/25/2023

Some of my favorite things are the memes about hilarious Pinterest cake fails. (There are some really funny ones about crafting, too!)

I think the reason they're so funny to me is that I have experienced that frustration myself. I love to bake, as well as doing crafts. Normally I'm pretty good at both. But, occasionally, I'll put a lot of effort and excitement into something that doesn't quite turn out like I want it to. I'm a type A personality, which means I'm very motivated and driven to excel in everything. I can tend to be very competitive. So, when something turns out less than ideal, I can get frustrated.

Luckily, with cakes and crafts, it isn't the end of the world if we get it "close enough"-- we can laugh about that and move on.

But, when we're talking about someone's medicine, someone's life, "close enough" just isn't ok.

Traditionally, much of medication prescribing has been a one-size-fits-all, trial-and-error approach. We knew that individual differences in responses to medicine were often observed from patient to patient, but we really didn't know why they happened.

BUT...now in many cases we DO know the cause of these variations in drug responses. The answer often lies in the DNA. (PGx) is the study of genetic influences on drug therapy. Your inherited forms of "pharmacogenes" (drug genes) can determine whether drugs will accumulate, be too toxic, or even be ineffective for each person. It's one area of specialty for me.

PGx is absolutely amazing. It can help so many patients, as well as their providers, to predict and avoid future medication problems, as well as to investigate and solve current medication problems. Think about that-- we can potentially AVOID ineffective drugs and medication problems!

Does PGx solve everything? Of course not. There are many things outside of genetics that can influence our drug therapies. Compliance, lifestyle, drug interactions, and other things play a role as well. PGx isn't the magical solution to all of our problems in medicine, BUT it is a very important piece of the puzzle, and one that must be considered.

10/24/2023

Pharmacogenomics, the study of genetic effects on medications, can dramatically affect your response to certain treatments! It can affect effectiveness, safety, or both!

Do you know if you are on the right meds that are most compatible with your genes?? A simple cheek swab can provide guidance on over 200 medications!

10/23/2023

The most commonly used drug in regimens for colorectal cancer is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). It is included in the vast majority of the common treatment options.

About 5-8% of the population lacks sufficient DPYD (the gene responsible for processing 5-FU) activity and is at risk of having severe or fatal toxicity if given 5-FU at normal doses.

I’m a pharmacist consultant that specializes in — the study of how your DNA affect your response to medications.

This is just ONE example of the importance of this field. Hundreds of common medications are affected by your DNA variations.

I offer genetic testing which can identify drugs which aren’t likely to work for you, as well as medicine which will likely be too toxic for you. The test is a simple cheek swab.

Pharmacogenomics can affect heart medicine, cholesterol medicine, antidepressants, pain medication, anxiety medication, heartburn medication, chemotherapy, ADHD medication, seizure medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine and many more.

Please visit my website www.pharmdnallc.com to learn more. There you can read all my blog posts, watch my YouTube videos, find clinical literature, as well as get setup for your own pharmacogenomics test! Your future self will thank you!

10/22/2023

Today is a blessing— a chance to mold your future by your actions.

Keep going! Keep doing what is right! Look to the future and be hopeful in all things.

10/20/2023

In honor of month, I wanted to do a post about how can impact breast cancer treatment.

People with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer are frequently started on anti-hormonal treatments to control the cancer and prevent recurrence. The most frequently used is tamoxifen.

Tamoxifen is metabolized (processed) in the body by a gene named CYP2D6, to a more active form named endoxifen. If patients have less active forms of this gene, tamoxifen might not work well because sufficient levels of endoxifen won’t be produced.

In these patients, guidelines recommended an alternative class of treatment, called aromatase inhibitors, instead.

Pharmacogenomics isn’t just a novelty— it’s actually legitimate, scientific, and crucial to providing optimal care.

10/19/2023

Many common medications are “Prodrugs”— inactive forms of drugs which must be activated once inside the body in order to be effective.

Don't you want to have the peace of mind to know that your genes and medications are compatible?

Have you had medications that just didn't seem to work for you?

Are you tired of wondering if you are taking the best medication for you?

The answer could be found in your DNA!

10/18/2023

Do have dreams? Not just the kind that happen while you sleep. I mean do you have aspirations, big plans for your life?

Many people think that their dreams are unattainable, not realistic. Having this mindset sets you up for failure.

God gives us dreams and aspirations for a reason. Think about that for a minute...

What are you doing to realize your dreams? Do you have the right starting mindset? You must first believe that it is possible for you to accomplish.

Surround yourself with others who also want to support you in your dreams. These are your tribe.

YOU must pursue your dreams. No one else is going to do it for you. Stop thinking about all of the reasons it won't work. It's your life, and your dream. Start doing the action that will get you there. Who better to do it than you? Why NOT you? The passion is there for a reason. Go do the thing!

10/17/2023

Have you ever heard of a “prescribing cascade?”

This refers to the sequence of events in which a side effect from one medication is misinterpreted as a new medical condition, leading to the addition of another, potentially avoidable, medication.

The result is polypharmacy— the taking of multiple medications, many of which may be both unnecessary and harmful!

People taking 5 or more medications are very likely to be on at least one medication that is unnecessary. Some of these medications can even be causing harm. Knowing your genes and how they influence your medications is one piece to solving your drug therapy problems. As a drug expert, I am specially trained to evaluate everything that could be affecting your medications. We can work together with your provider to get rid of the "junk" and optimize your health and performance!

10/16/2023

Did you know that antidepressants can be affected by your genes? 🤔

Yep! Mental health is one area with a lot of evidence supporting pharmacogenomics— the study of your genetic influences on medications. 💊🧬

My specialty is helping patients overcome #
drug therapy challenges using their DNA! 🙌🏽🤓 it’s my passion and pleasure to help my patients feel better! ☺️

Pharmdna, LLC