How does a pharmacist make a decision when faced with an ethical dilemma? What is the thought process as both sides of an ethical issue are examined? What past experiences and educational tools would contribute to a pharmacist's moral opinion? Questions such as these are very personal and difficult for many people to answer. Often a clear answer is not possible, or at least not immediately apparent. In this brief examination into one aspect of ethics in pharmacy, I will consider some potential answers to these questions and the implications that may follow. .
Traditional ethical theory is based on two central ideas. According to the utilitarianism theory, the action that leads to the best possible outcome for the most people is the action that should be taken. On the other end of the spectrum is deontology that states that actions may be right or wrong regardless of the outcome. In other words, outcomes would not be useful criteria when determining the ethically correct action. Most people, or pharmacists for that matter, do not strictly follow one of these theories but rather use a combination of the two. Factoring in background, education, and underlying moral or ethical principles leads to a very complex pattern of thinking when making an ethical decision [1].
Of course certain key patient issues should contribute significantly to the ethical decision making process. A few of the main concerns that come to mind are respect for the patient's rights, their autonomy, and likely the principal concern for their health and well-being. Secondary concerns may center on the hotly debated issue of allocation of scarce medical resources or the fairness of the decision. All of these factors and a whole host of the pharmacist's personal issues will come into play when an ethical decision must be made [2].
A patient's rights, in my opinion, should be one of the initial considerations during the decision making process.