Walgreens halts genetic test sales on FDA concerns

Earlier this week, Walgreens announced with great fanfare that it was selling a controversial over-the-counter genetics test. The drug store chain quickly changed its mind after the Food and Drug Administration objected, ending the bewildering episode as quickly as it started.

Testing your own DNA makes as much sense as do-it-yourself surgery or serving as your own lawyer. Experts argue that it is a spectacularly bad idea. Genetic results are often vague and raises many questions that can be best answered by a trained professional such as a genetics counselor. Moreover, scientists don't yet fully understand the genetic aspects of Alzheimer's disease and many other conditions.

Officials from the FDA are investigating whether the test's maker, Pathway Genomics of San Diego, Calif., was improperly marketing them, according to the Chicago Tribune. Walgreens is holding off on selling the tests until the FDA's concerns are resolved, media reports say. An FDA spokesperson could not be reached.