Sunday, April 7, 2019

Does your genetics help with prescribing medication?

The Washington Post posted a controversial article on how a genetic test could help determine which antidepressant medication would work best for you. In this article, it shows different incidences when a genetic test was both beneficial and pointless. It points out a time when the test revealed that the antidepressants that this patient previously took showed that those medications were not the best fit for them because of their metabolism. The use of this test rose controversy because even though it has helped many people in finding the right antidepressant, it still does not guarantee that this test will do so. So, why spend over a hundred dollars for a vague answer?



Although genetic test may show how a person with a fast metabolism would have low drug levels and vice versa, there are also other factors that play an important role in determining the right medication to take, like age and diet. Even though there may be certain circumstances when a genetic test may not work, I still believe that using pharmacogenetics is still a smart idea. I rather use all resources available to help treat me than just checking and guessing with multiple medications.  

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