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Patient Confidentiality vs. Public Safety: Pharmacists must balance the duty to maintain patient confidentiality with the responsibility to protect public safety. For instance, they may face dilemmas when a patient discloses information about harming themselves or others.
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Medication Errors and Disclosure: When a pharmacist discovers a medication error, they must decide how to handle the situation ethically. This includes disclosing the error to the patient, healthcare team, and regulatory authorities while minimising harm and maintaining trust.
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Medication Supply and Stock Shortages: During periods of medication shortages or supply disruptions, pharmacists may face dilemmas regarding the fair allocation of limited resources and ensuring patients receive necessary medications without compromising ethical principles.
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Conflict of Interest: Pharmacists may encounter conflicts of interest, such as financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies or pressure to meet sales targets. Balancing professional integrity with business interests is crucial to maintaining public trust and ensuring patient welfare.
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Conscientious Objection: Pharmacists may have personal or religious beliefs that conflict with certain healthcare services, such as dispensing contraceptives or medications for assisted dying. Navigating conscientious objection while respecting patient autonomy and access to care can pose ethical challenges.
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Off-Label Use of Medications: Pharmacists may encounter situations where healthcare providers prescribe medications for off-label use or without sufficient evidence-based guidelines. They must weigh the potential benefits and risks of off-label prescribing while promoting patient safety and informed decision-making.
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Medication Waste and Sustainability: Pharmacists may face ethical dilemmas related to medication waste and environmental sustainability. They must balance the need to minimize waste and reduce costs with ensuring patient access to appropriate medications and maintaining quality of care.
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End-of-Life Care and Palliative Medication: Pharmacists play a crucial role in providing palliative care and managing symptoms at the end of life. Ethical dilemmas may arise regarding pain management, withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments, and supporting patients’ and families’ wishes while upholding ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence.
4 Likes
I have never even considered some of these ethical dilemmas. Conflict of interest and patient confidentiality is kind of expected, but reading about conscientious objection was completely baffling for me!
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iv never thought about this, very interesting
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Wow, it’s eye-opening to see the myriad ethical challenges pharmacists face
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I wonder if those working in this industry are provided with the correct training and also mental healthy outlets to deal with this tricky dilemmas they encounter everyday.