Pharmacogenetics
Privacy and confidentiality of pharmacogenetic information
Implications for family members
38 The likelihood that pharmacogenetic data will be of relevance to family members is low. In general it is likely that if a test is clinically indicated, it will be carried out on the individual in question, regardless of the results of tests taken by family members. There may be circumstances in which the obligation of health professionals to their individual patients comes into conflict with their obligations to others, and when they may therefore wish to encourage patients to share pharmacogenetic information with family members. We consider that this possibility can be dealt with by existing practice regarding the sharing of medical information (paragraph 5.35).
Use by insurers
39 Pharmacogenetic information could be of relevance to insurers providing various types of healthcare insurance including private medical insurance, critical illness cover, income protection insurance and long-term care insurance, as well as life insurers. Such information could be used at two different stages: in assessing premiums for people applying for policies, and in adjudicating claims in order to make decisions about payment to policy-holders. At the stage of assessing claims, pharmacogenetic information will be of value to insurers providing private medical insurance in the same way that it will be of value to the public healthcare system in deciding which treatments to fund.
40 The UK has a moratorium on the use of results of genetic tests in setting insurance premiums until 2006 (excepting the results of tests for Huntington’s disease in life insurance policies of over £500,000). If this situation were to change, there is a risk that patients would be discouraged from taking pharmacogenetic tests that could be of great value to them, for fear they would be unable to obtain insurance, whether this fear was real or perceived. We note that pharmacogenetic information falls under the current moratorium in the UK and that insurance companies have expressed the view that the use of pharmacogenetic information in setting premiums would not be of value. In the light of these considerations, we recommend that the moratorium should continue (paragraph 5.41).