PSYCHIATRIC PHARMACOGENETICS: from concepts to cases (One)

Outstanding text! I've been involved in a world of PGx since 2004. ”It is unthinkable that selecting drugs for individual patients remains an empirical exercise.” Giacomini et al. Nature 2007. One of the barriers to having a functional understanding of the inner workings of the cytochrome (CYP 450) is the multifactorial aspect of these pathways. Dr. Durham accomplishes the transition from complexity to simplicity in a very straightforward an easy to understand format. I find it hard to imagine practicing medicine safely without at least a basic familiarity with the common knowledge of CYP-450/drug (DGI, DDGI) substrate pathways, and the inhibitors and inducers that can influence their function. Are the CYP 450 drug/gene relationships multifactorial and complicated? That answer would be YES! However the information that is available is simply not being used, so we, as physicians are being inept. Dr. Durham's book provides more than an understanding of the basic elements. It provides the basic foundation of understanding that literally takes the statement "let's try this and if it doesn't work will try something else" - otherwise known as a guess and creates the basis for being able to make an INFORMED DECISION!When we consider the complexity and the multifactorial aspect of these relationships, what we are really talking about is defining the PROBABILITY of reaching an INTENDED OUTCOME. I highly recommend this book for any physician/pharmacist.

This book is valuable, timely, accessible and clinically useful. Clinicians will have the comprehensive information they need to discuss pharmacogenetics with their clients and patients; the clinical cases illustrate multiple effective applications of this information to treatment decision-making and improving outcomes for individuals. The writing is clear and direct. The illustrations are just that -- they illuminate the topic. This book is a guide to 21st century psychiatric pharmacologic practice in a concise tome. If you teach students, if you discuss psychotropic medications with your patients, if you want to enjoy reading, then you will want to buy this book!

I found Psychiatric Pharmacogenetics to be an intriguing work on the cutting edge in regards to the triad in mental health research ofpatient--pharmacology--genetics.Very well written, logically laid out, and thankfully easy to understand, Psychiatric Pharmacogenetics makes a fascinating read for both graduate students and practicing psychiatrists.I enjoyed this work very much.

Excellent book! Well written and more importantly, well edited. It deals with a complicated subject in a straightforward and easy to understand way. A physician can be overwhelmed with details and esoteric information, and the application of the appropriate targeted patient care can get lost in the chaos. Opinion should never be as strong a director of therapy as scientific proof. Dr. Durham has made has made an eloquent case for simplicity and better patient care through scientific application of testing to yield tangible results. HURRAH!

The authors do a great job giving you enough detail but not flooding you with academic minutiae. They are clearly experts in this area but are able to write in a fashion that keeps a non-expert reader interested. The case studies are really illuminating, and makes one wonder pharmacogenetics is not being used on a routine basis in clinics and hospitals throughout the country. Overall a great book.

Quite a good book and case studies enlightened me as to how pharmacogenetics can actually be useful in my medical practice. Very well organized with succinct chapters. Very interesting chapter on medico-legal issues.

This book is a must read for all levels of providers that currently or will prescribe medications. It is well-written and informative, keeping the reader interested from the very opening sentence. The direction of future medicine will be become abundantly clear once you've finished.

Like other reviewers here, I completely agree that this book is an excellent resource on the basics of Psychiatric Pharmacogenetics. Personalized medicine is a buzz word now in healthcare, and all practicing clinicians (including physicians and pharmacists) are now required to keep themselves abreast of all the new developments in this area. This book is a wonderful resource that explains the fundamental concepts in great detail, but makes sure not to burden the reader with too many jargons. I like how the authors have provided case studies as examples to explain the concepts better. Overall, I highly recommend this book as one of the seminar informational resource in the area of psychiatric pharmacogenetics. A must read!