Pharmacogenetic Testing in an Academic Psychiatric Clinic: A Retrospective Chart Review

Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing is being increasingly recognized by clinicians as an essential tool to guide medication decisions for treatment of psychiatric illnesses. Extensive implementation of PGx testing, however, varies by setting and location. In this retrospective study, we reviewed charts from 592 patients diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder at the Loyola University Medical Center, for whom PGx testing was performed. Information collected included demographics at the time of testing, psychiatric diagnosis, medical and psychiatric history and medications prior and after PGx testing. Of the 592 charts analyzed, the most common primary diagnoses were depression (52%) and anxiety (12%). Prior to PGx testing, 72% of patients were prescribed three or more medications, whereas, after testing, only 44% were prescribed three or more medications included in the test panel (p < 0.0001). The most common clinical consideration on the PGx reports was recommendation to reduce dosages (33%). After PGx testing, the proportion of patients taking incongruent medications decreased from 26% to 19% and that of patients taking congruent medications increased from 74% to 81% (p = 0.006). The results from this retrospective data analysis demonstrated a reduction in polypharmacy and an increase in recommendation-congruent medication prescribing resulting from implementation of PGx testing.