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Pharmacogenetics

Terms of reference

1 To explore what pharmacogenetics offers now and is likely to offer in the near future;

In particular to examine the effect of pharmacogenetics on:

a) the design of medicines, the promotion of efficacy and safety in the administration of
medicines to individuals;
b) the conduct of trials in the context of pharmaceutical research & development;
c) clinical practice.

2 To consider ethical issues specifically raised by pharmacogenetics;

In particular to examine the areas of:

a) consent, privacy and confidentiality;
b) the management of information about response likelihood;
c) the implications of differentiating individuals into groups based on response likelihood.

3 To consider the implications for the provision of healthcare.

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