Precision Medicine in Psychotherapy: The Past, Present and Future

Precision medicine has sparked a fierce debate about the pros and cons of a more individualized healthcare strategy. Advances in precision medicine have challenged traditional paradigms of healthcare decision-making. Pharmacogenomics is part of precision medicine. Although genetic testing in drug therapy is still a relatively recent development, it is growing rapidly. Pharmacogenetic tests reveal genetic biomarkers that indicate a person’s drug susceptibility. They are increasingly being used to improve medication adherence; however, their utility in older people with polypharmacy remains to be well-studied. Mental illness is a major public health problem at both the individual and societal levels. Despite advances in psychopharmacology and better knowledge of therapeutic principles, there is still a long way to go to incorporate pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic research into psychiatry’s clinical practice. Numerous genetic variants have been associated with anti-psychiatric responses and adverse effects of treatment. The aim of this review is to summarise responses to psychotropic drugs in the context of pharmacogenetic polymorphisms.