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The consultation process in the pharmacy: from saliva sample to reorder

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 13 October 2026 · Reading time: 10 min

A relay race with clean handoffs

Novogenia describes the pharmacy model in one sentence: the sample is taken in-store and sent to the lab; the customer returns to collect their products – and comes back every three months as new supplements are prepared. A single purchase turns into advice that keeps going.

Think of the process as a relay race. Your pharmacy runs the first leg: it informs, obtains consent and takes the saliva sample. Then the lab takes over, analyzes and produces the report. After that, it is your pharmacy’s turn again – with the results conversation and the pickup. Relay races are rarely lost on the straight; they are lost at the baton handoff. That is what this article looks at: the eight steps and the handoffs in between.

The 8 steps at a glance

1. Inform: what the analysis shows and what it does not – and whether it fits your customer’s question.
2. Consent: in writing, including who will see the report.
3. Saliva sample: in the pharmacy, in a few minutes.
4. Analysis: 4 days in the lab, plus shipping of the sample.
5. Report: digital via a secure portal, printed on request, in up to 18 languages.
6. Results conversation: two or three priorities instead of every chapter.
7. Pickup: Your customer collects their personalized products at the pharmacy.
8. 90-day rhythm: One delivery of supplements lasts 90 days; then the next one follows, recalculated.

Step 1: Inform – the question first, then the test

Many conversations at the counter start with an everyday question: Which nutrients suit me? Why is my weight not budging? What is good for my skin? A genetic analysis can provide part of the answer – if it fits the question.

• What the analysis shows: lifestyle analyses on nutrition, weight, sport, stress and skin. They read genes that influence how the body handles nutrients, exercise or stress. Each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies.
• What it is not: not a diagnosis and not a prediction of disease. Medical analyses are available only through physicians wherever national law requires it.
• What follows from it: The recommendations in the report are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Genes are one factor among many.

Which analyses a pharmacy can offer in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is explained in Offering genetic tests in the pharmacy.

Step 2: Consent – no surprises

Genetic data are sensitive. The GDPR counts them among the special categories of personal data (Art. 9(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation). Processing them is permitted, among other cases, if the data subject has given explicit consent for one or more specified purposes (Art. 9(2)(a)). For your process, this means: your customer consents in writing before handing in the saliva sample – and knows who will see their report.

Novogenia leaves the choice to you: you decide whether or not you see your customers’ reports. Both work, as long as your customer knows in advance. Two points from Novogenia’s terms also belong in the first conversation: by sending in a sample, the customer confirms that they are of legal age. For minors, only non-medical analyses are performed, and only with the written consent of their parents or legal guardians. More on data protection in Genetic data and the GDPR.

Step 3: The saliva sample – a few minutes at the counter

The saliva sample takes only a few minutes and fits into a normal consultation. For lifestyle analyses, you use a saliva kit that is a non-medical device. On request, the kit comes in your brand’s design, with your logo, your instructions and your packaging.

• A quiet spot: a consultation room or a screened-off area at the counter.
• The kit instructions apply: go through them together with your customer.
• Clear assignment: the sample is clearly assigned to the right person, as the kit intends.
• Record the shipment: note when the sample left the pharmacy.

In Germany and Austria, your customer can also take the sample at home in the partner-shop model. In the pharmacy, you have an advantage: you answer questions right away and know the sample is on its way.

Steps 4 and 5: Analysis and report – make use of the wait

We analyze the sample in our own lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg, Austria. The analysis takes 4 days, plus shipping of the sample to the lab. Novogenia interprets lifestyle analyses itself. The report then goes digitally into a secure portal, printed on request, and is available in up to 18 languages – handy if your customers do not all speak the same language.

For personalized products, production comes after the report. So do not schedule the pickup too tightly, and tell your customer openly that analysis, shipping and production take a little time together.

Make use of the wait. Besides the genes, the formula of personalized supplements draws on a questionnaire and – where available – blood values; blood values take precedence. Ask your customer to fill in the questionnaire while the sample is in the lab. How these three sources turn into a formula is explained in Personalized micronutrients.

If you see the reports, read them before the conversation and mark what relates to your customer’s question. If you do not, ask your customer to bring the report.

Step 6: The results conversation – start from the goal

The results conversation is where genes turn into a plan. The report has many chapters; your customer needs two or three priorities. Work outward from the goal you clarified in step 1:

• Keep it simple: Novogenia reports deliberately speak of “functioning” and “impaired” genes. That is a simplification that makes genetics tangible.
• Not destiny: Genes show tendencies. Diet, exercise, sleep and skincare have a say too.
• A clear line: A lifestyle report is no basis for stopping, switching or re-dosing medication. That decision belongs to the treating physician.
• The product is an offer: Personalized supplements or skincare are a possible consequence of the report, not a mandatory part. Advice comes first, then – if it fits – the product.

Sample phrases and clear rules on when to refer to a physician are in Explaining a genetic report clearly. How to prepare your team for these conversations is covered in Training the pharmacy team.

Steps 7 and 8: Pickup and the 90-day rhythm

After the conversation, production begins – for exactly this one person. The personalized supplements come as Microtransporter pellets in daily sachets bearing your customer’s name, in a compact dispenser; one delivery lasts 90 days. For skincare, it is day serum, night serum or body lotion, matched to the genetic result. Your customer collects their products at the pharmacy. On request, Novogenia also ships directly to your customer as a fulfillment partner.

The pickup is more than a handover. It is the second personal contact: How is your customer getting on with the routine? Is anything still unclear? And it sets the pace for everything that follows. After 90 days, the delivery is used up and the next one is due. For every new production run, the formula is recalculated – with the current age and, where applicable, an updated questionnaire or new blood or genetic analyses. The genes themselves do not change; the genetic analysis does not have to be repeated for a reorder. How to organize this rhythm is shown in Reorders and subscriptions: customer loyalty.

Who does what: pharmacy and Novogenia

Switzerland: the sample is taken in the pharmacist’s presence

In Switzerland, stricter rules apply to lifestyle analyses than in Germany and Austria. The Federal Act on Human Genetic Testing (GUMG) also covers analyses of physiological traits whose knowledge may influence a person’s lifestyle (Art. 31(1) GUMG) – for example eating habits, physical activity and general well-being (Art. 37(1) GUMV). For your process, this means:

• Who initiates: Pharmacists are among the health professionals allowed to initiate such analyses (Art. 40 GUMV). The prerequisites are authorization to practice under their own professional responsibility and knowledge of human genetics acquired in education and training (Art. 34(1) GUMG).
• Sample in their presence: The sample must be taken in the presence of the person who initiates the analysis (Art. 34(3) GUMG).
• No home kits: Tests for self-use may not be supplied for these analyses (Art. 13 GUMG).
• Written information: It names the lab performing the analysis, companies and labs abroad that are involved, and the contact details of a professional who can answer questions and of the person responsible for data processing (Art. 32 GUMG).
• Lab abroad: Because the lab is in Austria, your customer’s written consent is required (Art. 36 GUMG, which applies Art. 29 accordingly).
• Access to the report: Results may be disclosed to another person only if your customer has consented (Art. 7(2) GUMG).
• Some topics are medical: Analyses on, for example, food intolerances, metabolic disorders or an increased risk of sports injuries count as medical (Art. 37(2) GUMV).

Instead of the GDPR, the Swiss data protection act applies; there, genetic data are sensitive personal data (Art. 5(c) FADP, in German DSG). What is an option in Germany and Austria – taking the sample in the pharmacy – is therefore the required route for your pharmacy in Switzerland. Details in Law: what pharmacies must consider.

Checklist for your process

• Your customer’s question is clear, and the analysis fits it.
• Medical topics and acute symptoms go to a physician.
• Consent is in writing, including who sees the report.
• The saliva sample has been taken according to the instructions, clearly assigned and shipped.
• The questionnaire is completed during the analysis.
• The results conversation is scheduled and prepared.
• Pickup or shipping of the products is arranged.
• The next appointment in the 90-day rhythm is set.
• In Switzerland: initiated by the pharmacist, sample taken in their presence, written information and consent.

Frequently asked questions

Related: Offering genetic tests in the pharmacy · Reorders and subscriptions: customer loyalty · Explaining a genetic report clearly

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.