Project Summary

Antidepressant medications play an important role in the treatment of depression, yet the efficacy and tolerability of these medications varies from person-to-person. As such, strategies to minimize the personal, clinical and economic impact of this variability in antidepressant response are warranted. One compelling solution is to utilize an individual’s genetic information to assist with guiding drug selection and dosing. This solution, known as genotype-guided prescribing, leverages evidence generated from the fields of pharmacology and genomics and is currently being used in >40 medical centers and clinics covering North America, Europe, and Asia.

In collaboration with the Addiction and Mental Health Strategic Clinical Network, Primary Health Care Integration Network, Alberta Precision Laboratories, and AHS Clinical Pharmacology Consultation Service, we are planning a project to implement and evaluate an evidence-based genotype-guided antidepressant prescribing intervention to reduce healthcare utilization, increase symptom remission, and demonstrate cost-effectiveness among Albertans living with depression. 

Planned Study Design

We are proposing a pragmatic trial among 500 individuals living with depression, who are receiving antidepressant treatment from psychiatrists and primary care physicians. Retrospective and prospective data will be collected to evaluate performance, outcome, and economic indicators related to the implementation of our solution. In addition, qualitative process and outcome data will be collected throughout the study to identify, monitor, and intervene on implementation barriers as well as to assess the patient/caregiver perspective. Aligned with previous studies, we expect implementation of this solution will reduce hospitalizations by 50%, increase symptom remission by 60% and alleviate burden on the Alberta health system.