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Personalized health in the pharmacy: the guide for pharmacies and pharmacy chains

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 13 October 2026 · Reading time: 7 min

In short

Your pharmacy can offer personalized health as a consultation service: with lifestyle genetic analyses from a saliva sample, personalized supplements in daily sachets and personalized skincare. The sample takes just a few minutes, the lab analysis takes 4 days, and one supply of supplements lasts 90 days. You can start with finished Novogenia products, build a white-label range under your pharmacy brand – supplements from a single unit, cosmetics from small batches – or bring your own product idea to life. Medical analyses belong in a physician’s hands wherever the law requires it; in Switzerland, pharmacists are among the professions allowed to order lifestyle analyses. In ten articles, this guide takes you from idea to launch.

Advice that keeps customers coming back

Here is what personalized health can look like in your pharmacy: a customer provides a saliva sample at the counter, and it goes to the lab. She returns to collect her products – and comes back every three months as new supplements are prepared for her. Novogenia describes this model for pharmacies on its partner page. A single purchase becomes ongoing support.

I am a molecular biologist and the founder of Novogenia. Since 2009, we have analyzed genes in our own lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria; the same building houses a supplement factory and a cosmetics factory. What is often missing is someone who translates results into everyday life. That is where your pharmacy comes in: it becomes the interpreter between the lab and life. With this guide, I want to show you how to turn this into a consultation service and a brand of your own – whether you run a single pharmacy or a pharmacy group.

Three building blocks for your counter

Genetic analysis: lifestyle analyses on nutrition, weight, sport, stress and skin. The saliva sample takes a few minutes, the analysis 4 days. The report arrives digitally via a secure portal, printed on request, in up to 18 languages. What is allowed is covered in Offering genetic tests in the pharmacy.
Personalized supplements: a formula based on around 50 genes, a questionnaire and – if available – blood values, which take precedence; dosed between one third and three times the reference intake, capped at the EFSA upper limit; in daily sachets for 90 days. More in Personalized micronutrients.
Personalized skincare: a day serum, a night serum and a body lotion; the genetic result changes which ingredients are chosen and at what dosage. Everything about manufacturing and regulation is in the Cosmetics guide.

Every gene we include is backed by at least three independent studies. The recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions – and genes remain one factor among many.

Three routes into your product range

Route	What you get	A good fit if you …
Finished Novogenia products	genetic analyses and personalized products, for example through a partner shop with a commission on every order, or BeautyMe for resale	want to get started quickly
White label	the range with your logo, your label and your packaging; supplements from a single unit, cosmetics from small batches	want to build your own pharmacy brand
Your own product idea	your idea or preferred composition, turned into your brand	want to stand out with your own concept

The routes can be combined: start with finished products and switch to your own brand later. Details in Own brand: supplements and cosmetics; the basics of contract manufacturing are explained in the Contract manufacturing guide.

The law in brief: lifestyle here, medicine there

Whether your pharmacy may offer a genetic test depends on the purpose of the analysis. In Germany, genetic examinations for medical purposes are reserved for physicians (Section 7 GenDG); in Austria, analyses of disease predispositions must be ordered by a specialist (Section 68 GTG), whereas pure pharmacogenetic analyses do not require a physician’s order – more in the Pharmacogenetics guide. Switzerland also regulates lifestyle analyses and explicitly names pharmacists as a profession allowed to order them; the sample is taken in their presence, and home tests are ruled out for them (Arts. 13 and 34 GUMG, Art. 40 GUMV).

For the products: supplements are food and are advertised only with authorized health claims; skincare speaks the language of care. More in Law: what pharmacies must consider and Advertising health services.

Who this guide is for

Independent pharmacies that want to expand their advice with personalized health.
Pharmacy chains and groups planning a shared own brand for supplements and cosmetics.
Pharmacy teams that want to explain genetic analyses confidently and support customers over months.
Pharmacies with a skincare focus looking for a skincare line that is easy to explain in a consultation.
Pharmacies in Switzerland, where the law gives pharmacists a role of their own in lifestyle analyses.

If you want to dig deeper into the science behind gene-based nutrition, you will find it in the Nutrigenetics guide.

Where to start

You do not have to read this guide from cover to cover. Depending on where you stand, these paths get you to your goal fastest:

You want to launch soon: read Launching the offer in 6 steps, then The consultation process in the pharmacy.
You are planning your own brand: start with Own brand: supplements and cosmetics and Reorders and subscriptions.
You want to be on the safe side legally: Offering genetic tests in the pharmacy, Law and Advertising belong together.
You are preparing your team: Training the pharmacy team covers roles, training and the NOVO Academy.

All chapters at a glance

All 10 articles are also listed by chapter at the end of this page.

How we do it at Novogenia

What you can expect from Novogenia:

Everything under one roof: a genetic lab, a supplement factory and a cosmetics factory in one building in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria.
Our own lab since 2009: analysis in 4 days; more than 30 million analyses performed so far. CLIA-certified, working according to ISO 15189, with an Austrian license for medical genetic analyses.
Certified manufacturing: ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 22000:2018, plus ISO 22716 for cosmetics, each certified by Quality Austria.
Reports: digital via a secure portal, printed on request, in up to 18 languages. You decide whether you see your customers’ reports.
Three routes: finished products, for example through a partner shop with a commission on every order and no setup fees; white label under your pharmacy brand; or your own product idea.
NOVO Academy: free of charge and optional, about 5 hours of video per language, with a certificate for each completed topic.
Partners only: Novogenia sells exclusively through partners, in 69 countries.

Frequently asked questions

What does personalized health in the pharmacy mean?

Your pharmacy offers advice tailored to the individual: a lifestyle genetic analysis from a saliva sample, plus matching supplements and skincare. You take the sample on site, Novogenia runs the analysis, and the results consultation turns the report into a plan.

Which genetic analyses may a pharmacy offer?

Your pharmacy can offer lifestyle analyses on nutrition, weight, sport, stress and skin as a partner. Medical analyses belong in a physician’s hands wherever the law requires it, for example in Germany (Section 7 GenDG). In Austria, pure pharmacogenetic analyses do not require a physician’s order. In Switzerland, pharmacists may order lifestyle analyses; the sample is taken in their presence (Art. 34 GUMG, Art. 40 GUMV).

Do I need my own lab?

No. You take the saliva sample in the pharmacy, which takes just a few minutes. The analysis runs in Novogenia’s lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria, and takes 4 days, plus shipping.

Can I sell under my own pharmacy brand?

Yes. In the white-label model, the range carries your logo, your label and your packaging; Novogenia stays invisible to the outside world. Supplements are available from a single unit, cosmetics from small batches. The company under whose name a product is marketed is responsible for its label and claims.

How do I prepare my team for these consultations?

With the NOVO Academy: it is free of charge and optional, covers about 5 hours of video per language and awards a certificate for each completed topic. How to assign roles on your team and prepare conversations is covered in the team training article in this guide.

Personalized health in your pharmacy?

Tell us about your pharmacy and your customers – we will show you which model fits.

Request a project →Offer for pharmacies

Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.