In the healthcare industry, there are always going to be cases of unethical medication prescribing and dispensing; either because a doctor or pharmacist is just simply not trained correctly, or because that person does not have the correct amount of knowledge about the medications they are prescribing.
In this article, we will go over some common examples of unethical medication prescribing and how you can avoid them in your practice.
Why Ethics Matter
Before we get into specifics, it is important to first understand why ethics are so vital. Ill-advised medication prescribing can have serious ramifications on a patient’s health and well-being, as well as adversely affect the public at large.
For example, if a doctor were to prescribe an opioid painkiller for acne or back pains that are not of neuropathic origin, there is a high chance that patient will become addicted to these powerful medications. This addiction could lead to the use of illicit opioids or even worse, death due to overdose.
Similarly, if a pharmacist can’t recognize whether an allergy medication is expired or mislabeled, they could end up dispensing the wrong medication to a customer; ultimately harming or even killing that person.
On the other hand, ethical medication prescribing actually benefits everyone involved. For example, if a doctor is properly trained and knows their limits on drug-drug interactions (and any side effects), they can avoid prescribing medications that contain ingredients that could be harmful to their patients. This will also reduce any chances of a patient being wrongly prescribed an opioid painkiller for something that they shouldn’t be taking opioids for.
To encourage ethical medication prescribing, there should be rules and regulations in place that bar doctors from making poor decisions when prescribing medications. Furthermore, there should be other types of repercussions in place if these rules are broken.
Examples of Unethical Prescribing
- Doctors prescribing opioids for the wrong reasons.
- Pharmacists dispensing expired or mislabeled medication.
- Doctors prescribing medications without performing the required tests.
- Over-prescribing medication when it’s not necessary or when alternative treatments are available.
- Pharmacists/Doctors filling prescriptions without asking for a prescription from legitimate physicians and clinics (this includes drug dealers who pretend to be doctors).
By understanding how and why ethics rules are broken, doctors and healthcare professionals can better serve patients.