Health Care Ethics: Drug Prescription and Referrals
Albert Ramos
San Jose State University
2 May 2017
Page Break Abstract
The American Medical Association created the Medical Code of Ethics which serves as a baseline for medical practices for all clinicians and health delivery systems. Ethics continue to evolve as new circumstances arise, but policy currently exists to guide ethically sound practices. Regarding bioethics, an overarching set of values exist to ensure the integrity of future medical decisions. In a book, “Principles of Health Care Ethics” there were four characteristics identified that can serve as the basis for ethical considerations in health practices (Beauchamp, 2007). Respect for autonomy, Beneficence, …show more content…
Of the influential elements in specifically prescription drugs, a Swedish article identified “Lack of Resources: economic concerns” as a major point of interest in referrals (Kälvemark, et al., 2014). It can be understood that in combination with financial needs, a physician would sway decision making in order to make financial gains, particularly in instances that an organization is in an economic deficit. The article also begs the counter argument, ” We don’t give patients the more expensive medicines they ought to … This is both right and wrong.” (Kälvemark, et al., 2014). Providers might have recommendations that suggest a specific brand or expensive drug compared to a cheaper option. In instances like this it becomes difficult to decide on what is a financially ethical choice: Does one prescribe the more expensive drug that has a higher success rate? Does one prescribe a cheaper brand or maker to save providers money, but includes a slimmer success rate? It is financial decisions that put a pressure on the ethics of health care and it is the tensest in situations where reimbursement for services is at a fixed average rate (Kälvemark, et al., 2014). Ethically one would go with the cheaper option to save money and continue serving as many people as possible, but …show more content…
"Clinical Business Associates is to approach the doctors’s and give a short presentation about their product (drug) . . .The convinced doctor opts for the product and prescribed it to the patient using the medium of prescription." (Agrawal, 2014, p. 360). Doctors are subject to many individuals whom try their very best to be convincing enough to increase prescriptions of the drug they are selling (Agrawal, 2014). The available information for the topic is scarce in that not much funding exists for investigating the problem, this was apparent in the saturation of opinion based information available. Research found suggests that the problem exists due to the large influence of large pharmaceutical companies in health care that are able to fund information or individuals to disregard the
Albert Ramos
San Jose State University
2 May 2017
Page Break Abstract
The American Medical Association created the Medical Code of Ethics which serves as a baseline for medical practices for all clinicians and health delivery systems. Ethics continue to evolve as new circumstances arise, but policy currently exists to guide ethically sound practices. Regarding bioethics, an overarching set of values exist to ensure the integrity of future medical decisions. In a book, “Principles of Health Care Ethics” there were four characteristics identified that can serve as the basis for ethical considerations in health practices (Beauchamp, 2007). Respect for autonomy, Beneficence, …show more content…
Of the influential elements in specifically prescription drugs, a Swedish article identified “Lack of Resources: economic concerns” as a major point of interest in referrals (Kälvemark, et al., 2014). It can be understood that in combination with financial needs, a physician would sway decision making in order to make financial gains, particularly in instances that an organization is in an economic deficit. The article also begs the counter argument, ” We don’t give patients the more expensive medicines they ought to … This is both right and wrong.” (Kälvemark, et al., 2014). Providers might have recommendations that suggest a specific brand or expensive drug compared to a cheaper option. In instances like this it becomes difficult to decide on what is a financially ethical choice: Does one prescribe the more expensive drug that has a higher success rate? Does one prescribe a cheaper brand or maker to save providers money, but includes a slimmer success rate? It is financial decisions that put a pressure on the ethics of health care and it is the tensest in situations where reimbursement for services is at a fixed average rate (Kälvemark, et al., 2014). Ethically one would go with the cheaper option to save money and continue serving as many people as possible, but …show more content…
"Clinical Business Associates is to approach the doctors’s and give a short presentation about their product (drug) . . .The convinced doctor opts for the product and prescribed it to the patient using the medium of prescription." (Agrawal, 2014, p. 360). Doctors are subject to many individuals whom try their very best to be convincing enough to increase prescriptions of the drug they are selling (Agrawal, 2014). The available information for the topic is scarce in that not much funding exists for investigating the problem, this was apparent in the saturation of opinion based information available. Research found suggests that the problem exists due to the large influence of large pharmaceutical companies in health care that are able to fund information or individuals to disregard the