Pharmacogenetics: ethical issues
Report
Published 22/09/2003
Research in pharmacogenetics investigates how differences in our genes can affect our response to medicines.
- To explore what pharmacogenetics offers now and is likely to offer in the near future. In particular to examine the effect of pharmacogenetics on:
- the design of medicines, the promotion of efficacy and safety in the administration of medicines to individuals;
- the conduct of clinical trials in the context of pharmaceutical research and development;
- clinical practice.
- To consider ethical issues specifically raised by pharmacogenetics. In particular to examine the following areas:
- consent, privacy and confidentiality;
- the management of information about the likelihood of response to treatment;
- the implications of differentiating individuals into groups based on the likelihodd of response to treatment.
- To consider the implications for the provision of healthcare.
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