Pharmacogenomic testing: billion-dollar savings in depression treatment

On this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole discuss the CMAJ paper "Cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenomic-guided treatment for major depression". The paper examines the potential of pharmacogenomic testing in the treatment of major depression and its implications for health care costs.

The study suggests that implementing pharmacogenomic testing for adults with moderate to severe major depressive disorder in British Columbia could save the health system about $956 million over 20 years, equating to roughly $4,926 per patient.

The hosts interview the study's authors, Dr. Jehannine Austin, Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics at UBC, and Dr. Shahzad Ghanbarian, a mathematical modeler and research scientist, also at UBC.

They explain how pharmacogenomic testing can reduce the often lengthy trial and error process of selecting medication for depression. The study demonstrates that this approach facilitates more effective early intervention, potentially reducing the number of patients with refractory depression by 37%. 

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You can find Blair and Mojola on X @BlairBigham and @Drmojolaomole

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The CMAJ Podcast is produced by PodCraft Productions