Pharmacogenomics, Ethics, and Public Policy

The advent of pharmacogenomics--the study of how the human genome influences drug response within a person or population--has begun to drive the development of pharmaceuticals in Western medicine today. Although pharmacogenomics promises dramatic improvement in drug safety and efficacy, the field also raises a host of ethical questions. The need to protect informed consent and confidentiality and to promote justice and equity--both nationally and globally--requires that one approach pharmacogenomics with an enthusiastic, yet critical, eye. Drawing on the normative values of respect for persons (as both autonomous and relational), human well-being, socioeconomic justice, and human solidarity and the common good, this article offers several concrete suggestions for public policy to help ensure that pharmacogenomics develops in a way that promotes the good of both individuals and the broader society.