Examples Of Primum Non Nocere

Primum non nocere. First do no harm. It is the guiding principle in Western medicine that dates back to the ancient Greeks. When facing disease, medical professionals must strive “to do good or to do no harm,” as it is stated in the Hippocratic Corpus. When the line between good and harm becomes muddled in ambiguity, ethical dilemmas arise. So it goes, the case could be made for controversial procedures such as abortion and assisted suicide doing either good or harm to a human life, and the position one takes largely dependent on their religious, social, and political ideologies. Whether we agree that taking a life in these examples is justified or not, we take solace in knowing that suffering has ended for a human that wished to go through …show more content…
Unlike Dr. Gounder, rural family physician Dr. Robert Wergin does not look forward to reducing the number of opioids he prescribes to his patients. Wergin worries about the overprescribing to patients that do not need the drugs, but firmly believes that a “one size fits all prescription algorithm just doesn’t fit [his patients], but [he] has to comply.” Of equal concern is the feeling of lost trust with patients, often offended by the suggestion of removing their regimen of pain pills: “Do you think I’m an addict?” is not an accusation any physician wants to face from a patient. With more regulation, these difficult patient interactions will become more common. Hoffman’s piece demonstrates that simply reducing the number of opioids does not provide a straightforward solution, and we must ask ourselves whether we are willing to let our government reduce the autonomy of our physicians because of the irresponsible prescribing practices of a select …show more content…
Stephen Schneider. A doctor who prided himself for taking in Medicaid patients rejected by other doctors, he found himself flooded with thousands of patients who knew they would not be denied a painkiller prescription. Schneider admits to Aviv that “[he doesn’t] even know the actual quote for the Hippocratic Oath, but aren’t you doing harm if there’s a treatment for something and you refuse to use it?” In a case where the intent to do good could not justify the harm done, Stephen Schneider would eventually be sentenced to 30 years in prison for causing three deaths through unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. A man who believed he had done no wrong, who “seemed torn between the belief that his patients should have the right to make their own choices…and the sense that he was the only one who could help them.” As we learn about Schneider’s life and personal history, we want to feel sorry for him. We want to believe that his intentions were honest and wholesome- but we realize that good intentions is not enough when lives are at stake, and we hold someone accountable. It is not enough for our physicians to thinking they are helping patients, for the road to Hell is paved with good