What are Ethical Medications: Patient Health, Safety and Protection is Vital

Humans live in a world where many different drugs or medications are available from doctors and dentists through pharmacies. As trained health care professionals, they give samples or administer drugs and medications to patients, but only under specific, pharmaceutical guidelines and instructions with respect to patient health, safety and protection. Drugs or medications given, administered or sold under specific guidelines of a doctor or dentist through a pharmacy, are ethical medications.  

Freedictionary.com defines an ethical drug as “a drug that is available only with written instructions from a doctor or dentist to a pharmacist.” 

This entails a prescription and may include possible refills for the medication or drug. It has a doctor’s signature on the prescription.  

There is certain degree of professional doctor-dentist-pharmacist confidentiality and trust that prevents the misuse of drugs or medications. The integrity of the doctor, dentist and pharmacist is a given, an important part of their training and ethical standards of practice.

The integrity of the patient receiving the medication is important. Patients need to deal rightly with their doctors, dentists and pharmacists.

In other words, a patient takes a prescription from his or her doctor or dentist to a pharmacist. He or she may have specified a number of refills for the prescription. The pharmacist fills the prescription and gives appropriate directives to the patient regarding the drug or medication. If there is a question about the prescription, he or she will consult the doctor who has written the prescription.   

When patients choose to take unethical medication or obtain drugs from black markets or other unorthodox sources under false pretenses, serious problems can arise, including major issues that may affect their health.

Patient safety and protection is vital. 

Another ethical aspect involves drugs and medication in settings where there are medication errors. This involves drugs or medications that are ethical medication or drugs, but there is a problem with their administration.     

“Several ethical issues may arise as a result of medication errors: harm to patients, whether to disclose the error, erosion of trust and impact on quality care.”

For the sake of their own health, safety and protection, it is advisable for all patients to seek appropriate directives from professional health care doctors, dentists and pharmacists, with respect the use of ethical drugs and medications.

While obtaining unethical or non-ethical drugs is possible and appears to be less expensive at times, there can be serious problems involving expiry dates, substitute drugs or medications, dosage or mislabeling of medication which could ultimately prove harmful or fatal to patients.    

Ethical medications are preferable and help to assure the health, safety and protection of patients.