Pharmacogenomics: Principles & Issues‪.‬

Human beings vary in their responses to the drugs prescribed to them. These variations can be due to differences in their age, gender, weight, health status, diet, concurrent therapy and genetic make-up. Recently, it has been estimated that 85% of a patient's response to drugs is due to the genetic make-up of the individual (Snedden, 1999). Genetic science is giving us many insights into why our drug responses vary, and this increased understanding is opening up opportunities to tailor drugs to common genetic profiles. The objective of this article is to inform educators about pharmacogenomics, its applications, as well as its associated ethical and social issues. The article also suggests a suitable teaching strategy for presenting the ethics of pharmacogenomics in the classroom.