Integrity Case Study: Medical Law and Ethics
Jerry McCall is definitely Dr . William’s office assistant. He has brought professional schooling as the two a medical assistant and an LPN. He is handling all of the messages or calls at the office even though the receptionist are at lunch. During this time period of time, an individual calls and says he must have a prescription re-fill for Valium, an antidepressant medication , named in instantly to his pharmacy, seeing that he is giving for the airport in thirty minutes. The patient notes that Dr . Williams is a personal friend and gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one apart from Jerry is in the office at the moment.
Does Jerry’s Medical Training Qualify Him to Re-fill the Purchase?
While Jerry’s medical schooling qualifies him to receive a prescription buy and write out it effectively for different nurses or physicians to implement or perhaps transmit to a pharmacist to dispense, Jerry does not have the authority to refill the patient’s medicine , as renewing/refilling/extending a prescription/order is considered originating a prescription (MBN, 2010, p. 1). While the issue presented to Jerry by the patient available may swing Jerry’s values, his medical training underlines the fact that under not any circumstance is definitely Jerry allowed to refill the medication , particularly if there are no more refills portrayed on the pharmaceutical bottle. In a situation such as this, the only option Jerry has should be to refer the patient to another doctor who may be able to more immediately assist them, or deny the person’s request outright, citing that his or her medical professional may be able to assist them further more when Doctor Williams returns to the office. Despite the time constraints the patient has discussed, and the honest dilemma elevated by their approaching departure, the circumstances of Jerry’s medical experience remain the same, leaving him unable to assist the patient in this way.
Does Critical Medicine Alter the Decision to Refill?
Even in a situation in which critical medication is needed, the truth that Jerry and other LPNs do not have the authority to refill prescription medications remains unrevised. Though the sufferer at hand may assert his or her frustrations while using situation, and Jerry may well undergo a great ethical problem in his own mind about the patient’s period constraints as well as the need for medicine , the repercussions that Jerry could deal with if he decided to get in touch with a refill could prove really detrimental to his employment position or his licensure.
Cortège of Respondent Superior
The doctrine of respondent remarkable, which literally means “let the master response, ” claims that in lots of circumstances, an employer is responsible for the actions of employees performed within the course of their job (Lloyd, 2010, p. 1). In a situation similar to this, should Jerry decide to re-fill the medicine , malpractice matches would likely become filed against Jerry and against Dr . Williams or any type of other medical professionals who keep stake inside the practice. In malpractice cases involving medical doctors and nursing staff, a health care organizations credentialing process can be questioned and is revoked, recoveries and problems to wounded parties will be paid typically out of pocket, and physicians held accountable for staff actions are usually held since directly culpable for the incident that took place, even in situations where respective medical doctor was not present (i. electronic. Jerry’s situation) (Nowicki and Summers, 2005, p. 95).
As the case study will not specifically point out whether or not Jerry, as an LPN an acting person in the healthcare provider’s office, keeps his own form of medical malpractice insurance, it can be inferred that this kind of a circumstance as that previously-stated through which Dr . Williams is kept accountable would go into impact.
Legal and Ethical Issues
While the legal ramifications of Jerry’s decision to re-fill could cause significant damage to