Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs
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September 4, 2021
Understanding the legal and ethical implications of prescribing drugs is important for any healthcare practitioner. It allows him to have a better grasp of the standards for prescribing as well as protect himself from any potential lawsuits or complaints filed by others. The author would like to focus on the legal and ethical implications of prescribing drugs for various stakeholders in this article. This includes the various roles and responsibilities that a nurse practitioner must follow in line with the professional responsibilities as asked of him.
One of the most important responsibilities of nurses and other healthcare practitioners is to conduct a proper diagnosis and patient history before prescribing any medication. These two are legally mandated and ethical because it reduces the risks of any adverse reaction on the part of the patient. Thus, any healthcare professional's role is to know almost everything (if not everything) that is related to the patient's symptoms and personal history.
In line with the scenario wherein the nursing professional prescribes a medication despite not knowing that patient's history is both unethical and illegal. The Medical Practice Act of Colorado provides that nurses should conduct a thorough examination and assessment of the patient's medical and physical history and ensure the proper diagnosis before prescribing any medicine CITATION Col211 \l 1033 (Colorado.Gov, 2021). Additionally, this is unethical on the professional and personal level since the patient is at risk of any adverse reactions from the medication.
Accordingly, this scenario could also have legal implications on the part of the pharmacist if it is clear from the face of the prescription that the medications were given arbitrarily or without due authority. Thus, pharmacists should also conduct follow-...