Ethical and Legal Issues Concerned Pharmacogenetics Development and Progress

摘要

Pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomics are interrelated branches of medicine, genetics, and pharmacology which have witnessed a rapid development and progress with the advancement of molecular biology and in particularly PCR techniques and allied technologies. The core of these branches of science deals with group of enzymes involved in metabolism of drugs namely cytochrome p450 nevertheless these group of enzymes are key enzymes in metabolism of all endogenous and exogenous substances in human. This implies how wide could be application of the studies involved in cytochrome p450, as it could be extended into other branches of metabolism of exogenous and endogenous substances including toxicology , nutrition ,.The application of these two interrelated branches of medical science finds its importance when we have been able to extend the study of single nucleotide polymorphism .Advantageous associated with these branches of science could help us to prevent trial and error in doses of drugs and increase the effectiveness of drugs, moreover we could avoid many of unwanted adverse drug reactions. Inspite of these applications and advantages its use has not gone without criticism and warnings. As medical professions and world health organization are advocating the very advantage and benefits derived from pharmacogenetics and genomics, there is opposition to the same demanding strict rules to observe exceptionalism in medicine. Drafting rules and regulation to observe and protect human dignity by virtue of safe guarding their personal genetic information should be considered as an urgent need prior to expansion of personal medicine. Protection of personal genetic data could have its importance yet to be realized but should be treated as an urgent need.