Scholarly Sessions
Mental Health
Hospital-based Medicine
Genomics
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Community Pediatrics
Pharmacology
General Pediatrics
Adolescent Medicine
Sara Van Driest, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Pediatrics
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Sonya Tang Girdwood, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Fort Thomas, Kentucky, United States
Personalized medicine is a National Institutes of Health major initiative and focuses on delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the right time instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. Although pediatricians excel at patient-centered care and weight-based dosing, few other data are incorporated into dosing decisions for children. Pharmacogenetics is the study of how the genetic makeup of a person influences the response to drugs and is an essential pillar to advancing personalized medicine. Advances in pharmacogenetic testing have been made in the field of pediatric psychiatry to provide individualized management of common mental health disorders. As the number of children and adolescents who require treatment for mental health is on the rise, general pediatricians are expected to initiate and titrate psychotropic medications. However, many pediatricians have not received formal training on pharmacogenetic testing, and are unaware of the tests available, the indications for testing, the limitations to test interpretation, and how to adjust therapy based on findings. In this panel discussion, attendees will hear from experts on the current state of pharmacogenetic testing in drugs commonly used in pediatric mental health disorders and how to implement testing clinically in their practice. This session will include discussion of each specific topic throughout, as well as broad discussion based on audience questions and/or sample cases from the presentation team.
Presenter: Sara Van Driest, MD, PhD – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Presenter: Jacob T. Brown, PharmD – University of Minnesota
Presenter: Laura Ramsey, PhD – Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Presenter: Katelyn Rossow, MD, MPH – Vanderbilt University
Presenter: Erika L. Nurmi, MD, PhD – UCLA
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