Clinical pharmacokinetics of antipsychotics in pediatric populations: a narrative review focusing on dosing regimen

Introduction Achieving optimal clinical responses and minimizing side effects through precision dosing of antipsychotics in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders remains a challenge. Identifying patient characteristics (covariates) that affect pharmacokinetics can inform more effective dosing strategies and ultimately improve patient outcomes. This review aims to provide greater insight into the impact of covariates on the clinical pharmacokinetics of antipsychotics in pediatric populations.Areas covered A comprehensive literature search was conducted, and the main findings regarding the effects of the covariates on the pharmacokinetics of antipsychotics in children and adolescents are presented.Expert opinion Our study highlights significant covariates, including age, sex, weight, CYP2D6 phenotype, co-medication, and smoking habits, that affect the pharmacokinetics of antipsychotics. However, the findings were generally limited by the small sample sizes of naturalistic, open-label, observational studies and the homogeneous subgroups. Dosing based on weight and preemptive genotyping could prove beneficial for optimizing the dosing regimen in pediatric populations. Future research is needed to refine dosing recommendations and establish therapeutic reference ranges critical for precision dosing and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM). The integration of individual patient characteristics with TDM can further optimize the efficacy and safety of antipsychotics for each patient.