Pharmacist assessment of drug-gene interactions and drug-induced phenoconversion in major depressive disorder: a case...

Response to antidepressant therapy is highly variable among individuals. Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing presents an opportunity to guide drug selection while optimizing therapy outcomes and/or decreasing the risk for toxicity.

A patient with multiple comorbidities, including severe major depressive disorder (MDD), experienced adverse drug events and undesirable response to multiple antidepressant medications (i.e., bupropion, escitalopram, and venlafaxine). A clinical pharmacist assessed significant drug-gene, drug-drug, and drug-drug-gene interactions as well as other clinical factors to provide recommendations for antidepressant therapy optimization.

This case highlights the importance of PGx testing and the key role of pharmacists in identifying and mitigating drug-related problems and optimizing drug therapy in patients with MDD.