Pharmacogenetic Panel Testing: A Review of Current Practice and Potential for Clinical Implementation

Pharmacogenetics (PGx) aims to optimize drug treatment outcomes by using a patient's genetic profile for individualized drug and dose selection. Currently, reactive and pretherapeutic single-gene PGx tests are increasingly applied in clinical practice in several countries and institutions. With over 95% of the population carrying at least one actionable PGx variant, and with drugs impacted by these genetic variants being in common use, pretherapeutic or preemptive PGx panel testing appears to be an attractive option for better-informed drug prescribing. Here, we discuss the current state of PGx panel testing and explore the potential for clinical implementation. We conclude that available evidence supports the implementation of pretherapeutic PGx panel testing for drugs covered in the PGx guidelines, yet identification of specific patient populations that benefit most and cost-effectiveness data are necessary to support large-scale implementation.