Ethics in Pharmacy Practice
Target Audience: Pharmacist
Course Overview
Ethics consists of a set of principles or rules of conduct that emerge from moral standards. In the broad sense, ethics is applied to many situations or relationships in life. When it comes to healthcare, ethics emerges within the context of patient care, i.e., what a healthcare professional should do when providing healthcare, and how the presence or absence of ethical conduct impacts patient care and outcomes. In the pharmacy setting, pharmacists and pharmacy staff may be guided by the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists and the principles embodied in the Oath of a Pharmacist.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Define ethics and describe how it differs from morality and legality
- Define ethics and discuss parts of the pharmacy code of ethics
- Discuss why ethics is important to patient care
- Recognize common ethical dilemmas when dispensing drugs or providing drug information
Faculty
I. Introduction
II. The Development of Ethical Standards
1. Branches of Ethics
2. Societal Norms and Principlism
3. Societal Norms and Ethical Pluralism
III. Ethics in Medicine Should be Patient-Centered
IV. Codes of Ethics and Oaths
V. Why Ethics is Important to Patient Care
VI. Ethical Considerations in Clinical Practice
1. Beneficence and Autonomy
2. Autonomy and Confidentiality
3. Ethical Decision-making
4. Ethics and Technology
VII. Summary
From February 27, 2023 through February 27, 2026, participants must:
- Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
- Study the section entitled "educational activity"
- Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.
Faculty Planner Disclosure
The following individuals were involved in the development of this activity: William Cook, PhD, and Susan DePasquale, MSN, PMHNP-BC. There are no financial relationships relevant to this activity to report or disclose by any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The information provided in this course is general in nature and it is solely designed to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant’s professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, must consult with their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization, for guidelines, protocols, and procedures they are to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures but is for academic purposes only, and this course’s limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses are constantly changing, and any person taking this course understands that such person must make an independent review of medication information prior to any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course, or course material.
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- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
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- A connection to the internet
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.