I have been using genetic testing as a tool to help guide me and the patient in starting a particular medication treatment plan. This is a targeted approach. The way these tests are used is to help direct the most appropriate medication per the particular patient’s genetic makeup. These tests are (relatively) inexpensive and assist us in determining which medications will work best with the patient based on his or her genetic make-up. These are not cures but might open the doors to new discoveries that may someday cure certain mental illnesses. The good news is that many insurance companies are covering these genetic tests.

The test identifies any pharmacogenetic markers in your DNA. It is performed either by a mouth swab or sputum obtained in a test tube, soon to be mouth swab, right in my office. The results generally are obtained in 36 to 72 hours. The results appear like a traffic light, showing in green the antidepressants and anti-psychotics best suited for the patient’s genetic make-up (usually the ones most tolerated), in yellow, those to use with caution, and in red those to use with even more caution and more close monitoring, if at all. These are good in that it reduces the time by weeks if not months in finding the best medication that is most effective in treating a patient based on their DNA and genetic makeup. These tests are not an exact science, yet still very useful.