By J. Paige Barnes, Pharm.D. Candidate, Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy and Rachel D. Crouch, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy
Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) kits have become common, with one out of every five people reporting to have used one.1 The most popular companies, 23andMe, AncestryDNA, Nebula Genomics, among others, claim that their kits can provide invaluable information about ancestry, health predispositions, and what makes up each individual’s specific traits. Consumer Reports found that the most common reasons people choose to utilize a DNA testing kit are to learn about their ancestry, general curiosity, and receiving one as a gift.1 Knowledge of our genetic makeup has the potential to facilitate improved healthcare decisions and therefore greatly impact lives. With the surge in popularity of DTC-GT, it inspires questions on the science behind these testing kits, the reliability of the results, and their potential impact on the general public.