Ethical Pharmacogenetics in CT

[Guest guest]

Dear

Members,

Ethical

issues of pharmacogenetic testing in germ-line

testing: -

1)

It

tests for genetic mutations and allele distributions that are inheritable.

2) Once a patient has

gained knowledge about his own genotype, this may also give him knowledge about

his relatives. Relatives may not want to know about their risk for a particular

condition or about the effectiveness of a treatment for them. Indeed, a

relative has the right not to know these things about their genotype. This raises a difficult issue, as it is

impossible to legally regulate the distribution of this information once it has

been given to a patient.

3)

The

desire to not want knowledge of one’s own genotype carries additional problems.

Because of the risk of receiving a non-responder profile to many drugs, and the

associated increase in insurance costs and other problems outlined above, a

patient may not want to be genotyped.

4)

With a pharmacogenomic profile- Physicians

are put in a difficult position. By giving the patient in question the bulk

drug, he is in fact providing inferior treatment and exposing the patient to

possible ADRs, because he has not been tested. Similarly, if the physician

gives the patient a genotype-specific drug, there is risk of ADRs because it is

unknown whether the patient matches the genetic profile of those for whom the

drug was designed. If ADRs do arise, even in the situation of the bulk drug,

there is the question of responsibility.

Should

the physician be held responsible, or should the responsibility lie on the

shoulders of the patient? These issues could cause subtle changes in the

doctor-patient relationship.

RegardsDr Sanjay Yallappa ChoudhariJR2,Dept of PharmacologyGMC, Nagpur

Your Mail works best with the New Optimized IE8. Get it NOW!.