Application of Pharmacogenomics Testing in a Community-based Facility

Area of Science:

• Pharmacogenomics
• Psychiatric Pharmacy
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• Pharmacogenomics (PGx) testing offers personalized insights into drug metabolism and efficacy.
• Integrating PGx into community-based mental health settings presents unique challenges and opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation of PGx testing in a community facility for mood disorder patients.
• To assess provider adoption of PGx recommendations and identify pharmacist roles.
• To analyze the impact of PGx testing on psychotropic medication selection and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 137 patients undergoing PGx testing (Sept-Dec 2017).
• Analysis of 87 eligible patients to assess PGx test impact on psychotropic treatment.
• Evaluation of gene-drug interaction data and adherence to PGx recommendations.

Main Results:

• Psychotropic medication prescriptions increased from 125 to 190 post-PGx testing (P < .001).
• Medications with no significant gene-drug interactions increased from 46.4% to 87.4% (P < .001).
• Adherence to PGx recommendations was high (88.5%), but test completion times exceeded guidelines.

Conclusions:

• PGx testing effectively guided psychotropic medication selection, minimizing gene-drug interactions in a real-world setting.
• Pharmacists can play a crucial role in streamlining the PGx testing process and enhancing patient care.
• Opportunities exist to optimize PGx testing workflows for timely patient follow-up and improved clinical integration.