Culture and psychopharmacology

The literature shows evidence of progress in research focusing on the delineation of the biological mechanisms responsible for cross-ethnic variations in psychotropic metabolism and effects. This article starts with a brief summary of some of the new developments in pharmacogenetics, focusing on their relevance in the practice of psychopharmacology. This is followed by a discussion on gene-environment interactions and their implication in the cultural context. In addition, clinicians should begin to develop a good grasp on the meaning of the variations of the genes that encode therapeutic targets of psychotropics (i.e., neurotransmitter transporters and receptors). Finally, the importance of culture and ethnicity in influencing patients' psychopharmacologic response is also discussed.