Pharmacogenomics testing for Veterans (PHASER)
Last updated
Share PrintOur goal is to optimize the use of nearly 40 medicines by adjusting prescriptions to a Veterans genetic profile. Using a blood sample, Veterans are tested for 11 different genes that affect medications for mental health, pain, cardiovascular, & inflammatory conditions. Alerts are placed in the medical record to warn a provider during prescribing of a drug-gene interaction & to recommend changes.
Origin:
March 2019, Durham VA Medical Center
Adoptions:
13 successful, 9 in-progress
Awards and Recognition:
FedHealth IT Award
Recent Updates
Overview
The problem
The solution
The results
Diffusion tracker
Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)
Multimedia
Images
Above:
Deepak Voora, MD (Director, PHASER program) discusses the pharmacogenomic testing offered through the PHASER program with one of his patients and the first Veteran to be tested under the program. PHASER testing is typically offered by providers during a patient encounter. Results are returned to patients by the PHASER program and stored in the medical record for future use.
Implementation
Timeline
-
Month 1
Signed letter of commitment -
Months 2-3
Kickoff MeetingEnd-to-End Test with Sanford Health (Dry Run)PHASER Steering Committee EstablishedFirst Project Plan Review -
Months 4-12
Second Project Plan Review (Go-Live +1 Month)Primary care clinic deploymentBehavioral health clinic deploymentCardiology clinic deploymentOncology clinic deployment
Departments
- Pharmacy
- Geriatrics
- Coronary care unit
- Education and training
- Information technology
- Information management
- Primary care
Core Resources
Files
- PatientBrochure_v23_2020-05-21_Pre_TestDM.pdf PHASER Patient Pre-Test Brochure
- PHASER_Sample_Complete_Sanford_PGx_Report.pdf PHASER Sample Test Report
- PHASER_Brief_Program_Overview_2020-05_draft.pdf PHASER Program Overview
- PHASERDrugList.pdf PHASER Impacted Medications List
Links
Risks and mitigations
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Providers will not be sufficiently trained to apply pharmacogenomics test results | Provider-friendly interpretation report in VistA Imaging and active, clinical decision support to alert providers at the point of prescribing to the presence of a drug-gene interaction, e-consult with pharmacogenomics trained pharmacist |
| Insufficient resources to support implementation | Funding for operational coordinator, shipping supplies/costs, costs of testing |
| Patients will not understand risks/benefits of PGx testing | Patient-facing educational materials, patient-educator support to directly speak with patients |
Contact
Comment
Comments and replies are disabled for retired innovations and non-VA users.
Email phaser@va.gov with questions about this innovation.
About
Origin story
Original team
Deepak Voora, MD
Director, PHASER program
Jill Bates, Pharm.D., M.S., BCOP, FASHP
PHASER Pharmacy Program Manager
Jennifer Chapman
PHASER National Project Manager
Caroline Webb-Wyrosdick
PHASER National Deployment Coordinator
Hope McFarland
PHASER Project Coordinator
Susan Rozelle
Clinical Applications Coordinator
Russell Jacobitz
Clinical Applications Coordinator
Jake Cohen requests info on Phaser prgm. Please contact at 843-926-7462
Good morning, Mr. Cohen. Thanks for the inquiry. Our Sharepoint is a good place to start: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/vhapgx/PHASER-lite.