According to researchers, pharmacogenomics can support providers in ascertaining the best suitable treatments for depression and aid in avoiding medicines that could have side effects.
A recent study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs discovered that pharmacogenomic testing might help doctors avoid prescribing antidepressants that might have unwelcomed results.
The researchers identified the patients who underwent genetic testing got more positive outcomes than the patients with regular treatments. The group with genetic testing showed a decrease in depression indications over 24 weeks of treatment, reaching a peak at 12 weeks. A major depressive disorder was observed through the study of each patient.
According to the results that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association in the July 2022 issue, Dr. David Oslin, director of VA’s VISN 4 Mental Illness, Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), who led the study, thinks the results will motivate the doctors to consider using pharmacogenomic testing, of course with patient consent, to support drive treatment decisions.
Dr. David said, “From a VA policy perspective, I don’t think that we would say the study is robust enough that we recommend testing everybody.”