Pharmacogenomics of psychiatric disorders

Pharmacogenomics, the utilization of genetic information to predict outcome of drug treatment (therapeutic and side-effects), holds great promise for clinical medicine. The pharmacotherapy of psychiatric disorders exhibits wi de variability in therapeutic response with little scientific guidance for treatment on a patient-by-patient basis. The emerging field of pharmacogeno mics holds great potential for refining and optimizing psychopharmacology. Key components for future development of the pharmacogenomics of psychiatri c disorders include understanding the mechanism of drug action, identificat ion of candidate genes and their variants, and weil-conducted clinical tria ls. In this article, data from recent studies are examined with particular emphasis on methodological requirements and direction for future research.