1. ¹Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
2. ²Section Community Genetics, Department of Clinical Genetics & Human Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3. ³Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece
4. ⁴Department of Pharmacology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
5. ⁵Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, University of Cologne, Germany
6. ⁶David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
7. ⁷Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of Extremadura Medical School, Spain
8. ⁸Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
9. ⁹Genetic Health Services Victoria, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
10. ¹⁰Faculty of Pharmacy, INSERM U.525, University Henri Poincare Nancy 1, Nancy, France
11. ¹¹Laboratory of Genetics, Hospital-University Careggi, Florence, Italy
12. ¹²University of Colorado Health Sciences, Denver, CO 80262, USA
13. ¹³Clinical Chemistry/Toxicology, TDM, Pharmacogenomics, and Proteomics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WC, USA

Correspondence: D Gurwitz, Department of Human Genetics & Molecular Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. E-mail: gurwitz@post.tau.ac.il; JE Lunshof, Section Community Genetics, Department of Clinical Genetics & Human Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: je.Lunshof@vumc.nl

Received 2 February 2005; Accepted 25 February 2005; Published online 26 April 2005.

Abstract

Pharmacogenomics would be instrumental for the realization of personalized medicine in coming decades. Efforts are evident to clarify the potential bioethical, societal, and legal implications of key pharmacogenomics-based technologies projected to be soon introduced into the core practice of medicine. In sharp contrast, a lack of sufficient attention to educational aspects of pharmacogenomics, both for professionals and for society at large, is evident. In order to contribute to this discussion, a 'Pharmacogenomics Education Forum' was held on October 2, 2004 during the 3rd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Pharmacogenomics (ISP) at Santorini, Greece. The participants, members of the ISP Pharmacogenomics Education Forum, after deliberate discussions, proposed a document of 'Background Statement' and 'Recommendations and Call for Action' addressed to Deans of Education at Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Health Schools globally. This document has been considered by the education committee of the International Society of Pharmacogenomics and the result is presented here. We hope that this call would be listened to, and soon followed by beneficial action, ultimately leading to enhanced implementation of personalized medicine into core medical education and practice.