Roberts Bradley, Cooper Zahra, Landery Georgia, Stanley Susanne, Majda Bernadette T, Collins Khan R L, Akkari P Anthony, Hood Sean D, Rodger Jennifer
Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Jan 3;15:1526101. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1526101. eCollection 2024.
The field of pharmacogenetics (PGx) is experiencing significant growth, with increasing evidence to support its application in psychiatric care, suggesting its potential to personalize treatment plans, optimize medication efficacy, and reduce adverse drug reactions. However, the perceived utility and practicability of PGx for psychiatric treatment in youth remains underexplored. This study investigated perceived barriers and attitudes in Australian young adults towards the implementation of PGx testing to guide antidepressant treatment in primary care.
Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted with 17 participants aged between 18 and 24 years. These sessions were recorded and transcribed before thematic analysis was used to identify collective themes.
Three key themes were identified, including attitudes towards the medication prescription process, concerns and attitudes towards PGx testing, and perceived barriers to its clinical implementation. Although PGx testing was positively perceived by most participants, all participants shared concerns about PGx testing. Participants voiced concerns about the financial impact of PGx testing, the potential for treatment delays, and the accuracy of PGx testing in guiding antidepressant treatment. Additionally, participants noted that the low awareness and willingness of general practitioners to incorporate PGx testing into routine practice could hinder successful clinical implementation.
Prior to the implementation of PGx testing into Australian primary practices, it is essential to acknowledge patient perspectives and ensure that clinical practices remain patient-focused. This study highlights important considerations for integrating PGx testing into antidepressant pharmacotherapy and emphasizes the need for future research to address and mitigate the perceived barriers of young adults.
药物遗传学（PGx）领域正在经历显著发展，越来越多的证据支持其在精神科护理中的应用，这表明它有潜力使治疗方案个性化、优化药物疗效并减少药物不良反应。然而，PGx在青少年精神科治疗中的实际效用和实用性仍未得到充分探索。本研究调查了澳大利亚年轻成年人对在初级保健中实施PGx检测以指导抗抑郁治疗的认知障碍和态度。
对17名年龄在18至24岁之间的参与者进行了半结构化焦点小组访谈。这些访谈进行了录音和转录，然后进行主题分析以确定共同主题。
确定了三个关键主题，包括对药物处方过程的态度、对PGx检测的担忧和态度，以及其临床实施的认知障碍。尽管大多数参与者对PGx检测持积极看法，但所有参与者都对PGx检测表示担忧。参与者表达了对PGx检测的经济影响、治疗延迟的可能性以及PGx检测在指导抗抑郁治疗中的准确性的担忧。此外，参与者指出，全科医生将PGx检测纳入常规实践的意识和意愿较低，这可能会阻碍临床的成功实施。
在将PGx检测应用于澳大利亚初级医疗实践之前，必须了解患者的观点，并确保临床实践始终以患者为中心。本研究强调了将PGx检测纳入抗抑郁药物治疗的重要考虑因素，并强调未来研究需要解决和减轻年轻成年人所感知的障碍。
