Pharmacogenomics: A Brave New World in Designer Drugs (Comment)

This comment will explore the double-edged sword of biology, particularly in the field of pharmacogenomics. Pharmacogenomics uses the knowledge that ethnic variation plays a part in human drug responses, thereby creating the need for population-specific research to study this effect of genetic diversity on human responses to drugs and other chemical substances. Part I addresses preliminary issues, which include a discussion of scientific terminology and theories pertinent to this comment, as well as an overview of pharmacogenomics. Part II delves into the historical and sociological perspectives pertinent to this issue. Part III reviews particular state and federal laws relating to genetic testing and information. This section includes an application of current laws to pharmacogenomics. Part IV proposes a uniform law to alleviate people's fear of potential discrimination. The abstractness of science to the general public evokes a fear that even the decoded human genome cannot alleviate without the regulations and protections afforded by the law