Introduction into clinical ethics

Question 1

what is clinical ethics?

Answer 1

relationship between a pharmacist and the patient during clinical practice.
is the basis of the relevant professional guidelines for pharmacists set out in the GPHC guide on professionalism

Question 2

why is there a greater relevance of clinical ethics?

Answer 2

due to recent developments in clinical practice eg clinical ventilator machines treating covid-19

Question 3

what are the two basic schools of thought in clinical ethics?

Answer 3

consequentialism

deontologicalism

Question 4

what is the difference between consequentialism and deontologicalism?

Answer 4

consequentialism- this ethical theory judges whether a professional action by a pharmacist in clinical practice is ethically right or wrong based on the clincial consequences for the patient
deontologicalism- ethical theory states that in the context of a pharmacists professional practice that certain clinical actions are ethical, not due to the clinical consequences for the patient, but because they are clinically ethical in themselves

Question 5

how can consequentialist school of thought in clinical ethics be illustrated?

Answer 5

by the ethical dilemma in modern clinical practice such as the use of human embroys in vitro, IVD

Question 6

What would a consequentialist view be?

Answer 6

view that if the overall clinical consequence of IVF treatment is that an infertile couple would be able to have a child

Question 7

what would a deontologist POV be?

Answer 7

view that the given that there is an artificial and unnatural use and destruction of human embroys during IVF treatment that this is NOT consistent with clinical ethics

Question 8

what is the problem with consequentialism?

Answer 8

how to evaluate what is ‘good’
the best clinical outcome is that which optimizes good in any situation or achieved the best overall clinical outcome for both the patient and society as a whole

Question 9

how would courts make a decision - is good?

Answer 9

if the clinical treatment is futile, disproportionately burdensome, there is no prospect of recovery and the patient has ‘ no quality of life’

Question 10

what are all guidelines on professionalism in healthcare based on?

Answer 10

rules of ethics which govern the pharmacist’s professional conduct

Question 11

what is involved in rule consequentialism?

Answer 11

adoption of a set of ethical, legal and professional rules that will produce the best outcome when applied to an ethical or moral dilemma in patient care

Question 12

what does rule consequentialism set out?

Answer 12

general rules for optimal clinical consequences in the long-term, if all healthcare professionals including pharmacists, accept and comply with them

Question 13

what exceptions does rule consequentialism have?

Answer 13

ethical exceptions

Question 14

what is clinical ethics based mainly on?

Answer 14

principlism

Question 15

what are the 4 ethical priciniples in clinical practice?

Answer 15

autonomy
non-maleficence
beneficence
justice

Question 16

what are the benefits of ethical principles/ principles in clinical practice?

Answer 16

1- firstly- a pharmacist can use it in clinical practice. proponents of prinicplism state that it can be applied to all ethical dilemmas faced by a pharmacist
2- secondly, it is claimed that principlism is culturally neutral and can be acccepted worldwise vecause it is not based on ant religious fate/ cultural norm
3- use of principlism ensures a degree of consistency, in that all cases will be approached in the same manner by balancing all its ethical principles
4- is a counterbalance to moral relativism, which states that there are no right or wrong answers to ethical dilemmas. it is an approach that all pharmacists can agree on and apply in clinical practice
5- is flexible enough to enable clinical ethicists coming from a wide range of ethical perspecives, they can agree on the basic approach of principlism to ethical dilemmas

Question 17

what is autonomy?

Answer 17

is the primary ethical principle applied in clinical practice- key element of the pharamacist- patient relationship that the pharmacist must always respect a patients autonomy i.e by acquiring the patients consent

Question 18

what does the right to autonomy imply?

Answer 18

right to bodily integrity

Question 19

what is non-malficence?

Answer 19

the pharmacist should avoid causing clinical harm to the patient
must not inflict personal harm or clinical injury on the patient, even in the context of clinically supporting a fellow pateint

Question 20

what is beneficence?

Answer 20

do good for the pateint

Question 21

what is justice?

Answer 21

fair equitable or reasonable in the clinical curcumstances of the patient’s treatmentr

Question 22

what are the 3 forms of justice in clinical ethics?

Answer 22

1- fair dis of sacred resources
2- respect for peoples rights
3- respect for morally acceptable laws

Question 23

what are the guidlines to medical practitioners?

Answer 23

• The Medical Practitioner needs to be Appropriately Trained and
Registered with the General Medical Council;
• The Medical Practitioner is there for the Benefit of the Patient, Do
Good and Cause No Harm to the Patient in Clinical Practice; &
• The Medical Practitioner-Patient Relationship is Sacrosanct and
should not be Abused or be Undermined by the Acts of the
Medical Practitioner