Pharmacogenomics in the treatment of mental disorders

Pharmacogenomics lies at the intersection of pharmacology and genomics. It analyzes the impact of genetic variants on patient’s response to a specific drug. Pharmacogenomic tests involve the analysis of variants of genes responsible for drug metabolism, to determine the rate of drug metabolism and apply this information to clinical practice. Pharmacogenomics assists in selecting the appropriate drug and adjusting its dose to minimize side effects while maximizing the effectiveness of a drug, which accelerates the introduction of effective therapy. The prospects for its application in psychiatry are promising, although the creation of uniform recommendations is difficult due to the complexity of mental disorders and the influence of other factors, such as interactions between medications. Therefore, recommendations created by different institutions differ significantly. The aim of this article is to discuss the current possibilities of using pharmacogenomics in psychiatry and the difficulties of introducing it as a standard of psychiatric treatment.