Using multiple drugs simultaneously to treat a single ailment or condition, also known as polypharmacy, has increased over the past two decades among Veterans, exposing them to risks for drug-drug interactions and adverse side effects. Optimizing a Veteran’s medication regimen using a pharmacogenetic decision support tool – one based on how an individual’s genotype influences how he/she responds to drugs — has the potential to provide individualized precision medicine, reduce risks for adverse events, reduce treatment utilization costs, and improve Veteran health outcomes.

Amanda Wood, PhD, recently received a grant to conduct a pharmacogenetic study at the American Lake Division of VA Puget Sound to investigate the optimal delivery of multiple medications among Veterans receiving mental health treatment. Fifty Veterans who are on five or more medications, with at least two prescribed for a mental health diagnosis, and who aren’t improving as expected will be enrolled in this study. The study has two sources of funding, an investigator-initiated grant through Genomind, Inc. and an R&D seed grant through the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, making this project a unique public-private partnership.