Pharmacogenetic Studies of Antidepressant Response: How Far from the Clinic?

Both the popular and the scientific press have embraced the idea of personalized medicine, in which genetic testing will allow precise matching of patients with optimal treatment. The first portion of this article briefly defines basic concepts in pharmacogenetics as they pertain to psychiatry and then discusses their potential application in antidepressant pharmacogenetics. The second portion of the article addresses key obstacles to the development and application of such tests, so that clinicians can understand how to evaluate and apply new tests as they are developed.