Submitted by: Submitted by elmamctiller33
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Category: Other Topics
Date Submitted: 06/14/2012 09:44 AM
Ethical Decisions
The purpose of pharmacy law is to protect the public health. It is a regulation that is important for both the profession and the practitioners of the profession. Pharmacy ethics is a branch of medical ethics that relates to the morality of a situation. The decisions the pharmacy personnel make are sometimes complicated, controversial, requiring tough choices that involve professional ethics.
In the scenario, Mrs. Mortimer arrives at the pharmacy at 9 p.m. on Friday the weekend before July 4 with no refills remaining on her Synthroid prescription. Synthroid is considered a “maintenance drug,” it is also recommended that patients do not just stop taking the drug. Using the nine ethical theories in the pharmacy practice, the pharmacy Technician waits for instructions from the pharmacist about what to do with this situation.
The theory of Consequentialism would work in Mrs. Mortimer’s favor because it would be the best option to at least give her enough medication for the weekend until the pharmacy could contact the physician the upcoming Tuesday. Since it is a maintenance drug, it will be more likely to be authorized. This does not benefit the pharmacy, because it would be filling a prescription without authorization, which is against the law.
The theory of Nonconsequentialism would be a benefit only for Mrs. Mortimer because the pharmacy would fill her prescription without regard of the law. What if the reason she does not have a valid prescription is that she had not visited the office for blood testing that ensures she is taking the correct dosing?
Social contract benefits the pharmacy more than Mrs. Mortimer does because this allows the pharmacy to act within the law to back the decision to refuse to fill a drug without authorization from a physician. This will tie with the ethics of care, where the pharmacist will “teach” the patient to recognize the importance in filling the prescription before the last pill is taken....