Keyword: pharmacogenetics

42 results found
Employers, insurers facing challenges as genetic testing grows in popularity

Genetic testing is gradually growing in popularity as some employers adopt a more preventative benefits and wellness strategy. In its annual employee benefits report, the U.S.-based Society of Human Resources Management found 18 per cent of organizations offered genetic testing in 2018, up six per cent from 2016. It also found plan members are increasingly interested in learning […]

Medavie launches pharmacogenetic testing pilot

Medavie Blue Cross is launching a pharmacogenetic testing pilot project to help group benefits plan members find ideal medication and dosing amounts. The project uses GeneYouIn Inc.’s Pillcheck cheek-swab DNA test, analyzing patients’ genes to understand how their bodies might process certain medications. After the test, the swabs are destroyed for patient privacy. While the project will initially […]

  • By: Staff
  • May 16, 2019 September 17, 2019
  • 15:45

Specialty medications and high-cost drugs for common conditions are driving up private plan drug spending, according to Express Scripts Canada’s annual drug trends report. The report found the rapid increases in drug spending for private plans over the last 20 years have started to slow. The average annual drug spending per plan member was up just 0.9 per cent […]

Health costs expected to rise 11.6% in 2019: report

Canadian insurers expect health costs to rise by 11.55 per cent this year, according to a new report by Accompass Inc. The annual survey determines the anticipated year-over-year cost increase or decrease — or health trend factor — by asking insurers to examine their businesses and take various factors into account, including legislation and reforms, economic events […]

Q&A with Aon’s Art Babcock

On the eve of his retirement, with more than 40 years in benefits under his belt, Aon’s Art Babcock considers the industry’s move to technology, health-care spending accounts and drone piloting Q. How did you get into the group benefits industry? A. I began my career in the insurance industry out of university, with Metropolitan […]

Shoppers Drug Mart offering coaching for staff on STD due to mental illness

Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is partnering with Acclaim Ability Management Inc. to offer one-on-one coaching services to employees on short-term disability leave with mental-health issues. With the goal of getting their employees back to work sooner, employers can choose between two offerings to lower the risk of STD turning into a long-term disability leave. “We’re taking employee support to the […]

  • By: Staff
  • March 22, 2019 September 13, 2019
  • 15:05
2019 Drug Plan Trends Report: What’s next for drug plans?

Though many plan sponsors are still using step therapy to manage drug plan costs, pharmacogenetic testing is receiving attention as more providers enter the market, lower the cost and familiarize employers and insurers with the technology. As it becomes more sophisticated, there’s more information about how pharmacogentic testing works, says Sandra Ventin, associate vice-president at […]

  • By: Jann Lee
  • March 15, 2019 March 6, 2021
  • 08:53
Panel addresses pros and cons of pharmacogenetic testing

Pharmacogenetic testing can produce significant results for plan members, but it isn’t appropriate for everyone and should never be looked at in isolation, according to a panel discussion at Benefits Canada‘s Face to Face Drug Plan Management Forum.  Speaking on the panel in Toronto on Dec. 5, Mark Faiz, chief executive officer of Personalized Prescribing Inc., said […]

A look at using pharmacogenetic testing in determining depression treatment

One young man is on the road to recovering from depression following timely pharmacogentic testing through his employer. Allison Hazell, director of genetics at Medcan, presented the case study during her presentation on genetics and pharmacogenetics at the company’s event in Toronto on Friday. The patient, a 28-year-old Medcan employee, had a history of depression. However, […]

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • November 12, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 16:11
Staples Canada earns mental-health award for focus on early prevention

An increased focus on early intervention led Staples Canada to the mental-health award at Benefits Canada’s 2018 Workplace Benefits Awards in Toronto on Oct. 11.  After noticing that mental health was becoming a larger issue within the organization, Staples adopted the national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace, created its own psychological health and […]

  • By: Ryan Murphy
  • October 25, 2018 September 13, 2019
  • 09:45