Genetic testing could greatly benefit patients with depression, save health system millions
14 November, 2023
A special kind of genetic test that helps determine the best antidepressant for patients with moderate-to-severe depression could generate substantive health system savings and greatly improve patient outcomes, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.
The study, published today in CMAJ, shows that in B.C. alone, implementing pharmacogenomic testing could save the provincial public health system an estimated $956 million over 20 years.
“Pharmacogenomic testing aims to match patients with medications that are more likely to be effective and cause less side effects, based on their genetic profile,” said co-senior author Dr. Stirling Bryan (he/him), professor at UBC’s school of population and public health, and senior scientist at Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. “Our findings show that the benefit to patients in B.C. could be enormous, including increased remission rates and better quality of life, while generating significant cost savings by keeping people out of hospitals and more intensive treatment pathways.”
- Research
- Media release
