Pharmacogenetic Testing in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

• Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the United States and is a large cause of disability. Antidepressants take weeks/months to become effective which can lead to noncompliance. Treatment has a high failure rate which increases medical costs and leads to decreased patient outcomes. • Pharmacogenetic testing is the practice of analyzing genetic differences to predict a patient’s response to medications to improve efficacy and decrease adverse side effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate if pharmacogenetic-guided treatment, specifically in the use of antidepressants in MDD, has resulted in improved patient outcomes. Additionally, the cost effectiveness was also analyzed. • The review of literature was conducted by systematically searching the online databases PubMed and PsycINFO, and explored studies that compared the current standard of care to pharmacogenetic-guided treatment in adult patients with MDD aged 18-75. • The results indicated improved compliance and prognosis for patients with MDD using pharmacogenetic-guided treatment versus the current standard of care. Studies also showed cost effectiveness of pharmacogenetic-guided treatment by decreasing medical costs by having fewer clinic visits, less changes in prescriptions, less sick leave taken, and decreased hospital costs.https://commons.und.edu/pas-grad-posters/1056/thumbnail.jp