Abstract
Personalized medicine has the potential to greatly benefit healthcare, but may also bring unintended complexities to the doctor-patient consultation. Delivering the right intervention, to the right patient, at the right time is highly desirable, but in the process we must ensure that technological advancement does not erode the traditional relationship between patient and doctor. To date the interpersonal dimensions of personalized medicine have been neglected. However, in this chapter we speculate on how personalized medicine may impact the doctor–patient relationship. Unintended consequences of pharmacogenomics may include loss of trust in health professionals, poorer adherence to lifestyle changes together with the distress arising from unwanted findings. At a societal level there could emerge a two-tier medical service, widening health inequalities. For maximum benefit, the implementation of pharmacogenomics must be incorporated into clinical care in ways that strengthen our professional relationship with our patients, and not to weaken them.