Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion

Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion

JJ is a 7-year-old male that has been dealing with asthma his entire life. Multiple treatments have been tried, which have helped symptoms, but nothing that works completely. You are treating him and know of a study regarding a new asthma medication being developed. This new medication contains a bronchodilator/steroid/antihistamine as an inhalation. None of the drugs being studied have previously been approved for children under the age of 12. The study would last for 16 weeks.

Explain the ethical and legal implications of the scenario you selected on all stakeholders involved such as the prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and the patient’s family Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion .

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Describe strategies to address disclosure and nondisclosure as identified in the scenario selected. Be sure to reference laws specific to your state

Explain two strategies that you, as an advanced practice nurse would use to guide your decision making in this scenario, including whether you would disclose your error. Be sure to justify your explanation.

Explain the process of writing prescriptions including strategies to minimize medication errors.

Introduction

The importance of medical, legal, and ethical considerations given by clinicians on using off-label drugs and those with adverse effects do not harm the users. The nurses prioritize their patient’s safety in medications as required and are described by the principle of maleficence. As a result, patient safety has emerged as the most emphasized aspect of healthcare quality worldwide over the years. The author examines the legal and ethical implications of prescribing drugs that have not yet been approved for clinical use in this paper. The author also discusses strategies nurses can use to address disclosure and non-disclosure issues and guide decision-making. Nurses must recognize clinical dilemmas associated with drug prescribing in clinical practice and make appropriate decisions based on their values and the laws that govern nursing practice Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion .

Overview of the case

J.J., a 7-year-old male, has had asthma his entire life and is the subject of the case study. Despite the fact that he has received numerous treatments that have greatly aided in symptom relief, no treatment has proven to be effective. During routine care, as the author manages him, I recall a study about the development of a new asthma drug, which includes a bronchodilator/steroid/antihistamine administered via inhalation and has yet to be approved for use in children under the age of 12 years. The study, on the other hand, would last 16 weeks.

Legal and Ethical Implications of Selected Scenario

Pharmacist

Pharmacists have a broad scope of knowledge on the drugs currently approved by the FDA to manage different conditions, including the five rights of medication administration. In practice, pharmacists are legally obligated to ensure that the clinician prescribes the right drug for the correct diagnosis and patient (Andrade et al., 2020)Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion . For off-label medications, pharmacists have a professional role in evaluating their risks versus benefits and advice otherwise before dispensing. Going against the aforementioned responsibilities can result in the loss of a practice license authority.

Prescriber

Nurses have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect patients from avoidable harm. In the chosen case scenario, nurses have a legal and ethical obligation to educate patients about their condition, available FDA-approved management options, and those not yet approved by the FDA. To protect patients from potential harm, the prescriber should use the most recent and best available evidence to weigh the benefits versus the risks of a drug that has not yet been approved. For patients with long-term or chronic illnesses like asthma, the prescriber should assess the patient for potential factors influencing poor outcomes, such as trigger exposure and non-adherence (Anong & Akoachere, 2018)Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion . Failure to protect a patient from potential harm that may result from the use of a drug not approved by the FDA for asthma can result in legal charges being levied against the prescriber. Finally, the prescriber’s license may be revoked by the state where they practice.

Patient and Family

Patients have the right to be informed. When a patient seeks care, the nurse should discuss and evaluate his or her physical, social, emotional, and psychological needs and then address them holistically (Ewuoso, 2019)Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion . The nurse must share the evaluation results with the patient, including the diagnosis, available and alternate management options, as well as their side effects. Despite the fact that this patient is a minor, the nurse must also share some information with him and his caregiver to improve self-care efforts in asthma management. If the nurse continues to prescribe the new drug without sharing the information with the patient, she is violating the patient’s right to informed consent and the principle of justice. Finally, any adverse outcome can result in additional healthcare costs for the patient and family. From a legal standpoint, the family can sue the hospital and the prescriber.

Strategies to Address Disclosure and Non-Disclosure

According to the author’s state NPA (Nursing Practice Act), nurses must thoroughly discuss the indication, benefits, risks, method of administration, and mode of action of every drug that a nurse prescribes. The act also requires that all nurses practice ethical prescribing for drugs under clinical investigation by acquiring the patient’s informed consent, demonstrating that current management methods are insufficient, confirming the diagnosis, and obtaining concrete information from credible sources on the drug’s safety and usefulness Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion .

Two strategies to guide decision-making

To decide whether to prescribe the new drug in the chosen scenario, the author would share all relevant details about the new drug with the patient and demand to consult a more experienced specialist. As this approach aligns with the State’s NPA, the nurse would share details about the new drug and the study during the consultation (Ewuoso, 2019). If, after the consultation, it is determined that the advantages of the new drug outweigh the risks, with the knowledge or permission of the legal caregiver, the author will prescribe it. If it were the other way around, the author would reconsider evaluating the patient because other factors could be influencing a poor prognosis.

The process of writing prescriptions

Escrivá Gracia et al. (2019) recommend the following six steps that should be followed when prescribing drugs to a patient;

Determine the problem of the patient
Evaluate his therapeutic objectives

Pick the drug right for him

Using the correct information, begin the therapy
Enlighten the patient on the possible risks, benefits, warnings, and the adverse effects
Carry out a follow-up on a regular basis Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion

References

Andrade, S. R. A., Santos, P. A. N. D. M., Andrade, P. H. S., & da Silva, W. B. (2020). Unlicensed and off‐label prescription of drugs to children in primary health care: A systematic review. Journal of Evidence‐Based Medicine, 13(4), 292-300.

Anong, D. N., & Akoachere, J. F. K. (2018). Prescribing patterns and associated factors of antibiotic prescription in primary health care facilities of Kumbo East and Kumbo West Health Districts, North West Cameroon. PloS one, 13(3), e0193353.

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Escrivá Gracia, J., Brage Serrano, R., & Fernández Garrido, J. (2019). Medication errors and drug knowledge gaps among critical-care nurses: a mixed multi-method study. BMC health services research, 19(1), 1-9.

Ewuoso, C. (2019). Managing ethical challenges around misattributed parentage within the clinical context: Insights from an African moral theory. Developing World Bioethics, 19(1), 36-44. Ethical Implications Of Prescribing Drugs Discussion