APC Professional Ethics and Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A pharmacist suspects a regular customer is misusing codeine-containing products. The most appropriate action is:
- Continue selling without intervention to preserve the relationship
- Refuse all future sales without explanation
- Have a non-judgmental conversation and refer for support if appropriate (Correct answer)
- Immediately report the customer to police
Correct answer: Have a non-judgmental conversation and refer for support if appropriate
Pharmacists should address suspected misuse with a compassionate, non-judgmental approach and facilitate access to appropriate support services.
Question 2: Under the Pharmacy Board of Australia guidelines, a pharmacist must NOT:
- Provide professional advice over the telephone
- Dispense a prescription for a close family member (Correct answer)
- Counsel patients about medication side effects
- Recommend generic substitution with patient consent
Correct answer: Dispense a prescription for a close family member
Dispensing for close family members creates a conflict of interest and compromises objectivity, which is prohibited under professional guidelines.
Question 3: Which of the following situations requires a pharmacist to breach patient confidentiality?
- A patient's employer requests medication history
- A parent asks about their adult child's prescriptions
- A court order requiring disclosure of patient records (Correct answer)
- A researcher requests de-identified patient data
Correct answer: A court order requiring disclosure of patient records
A valid court order is a legally mandated exception to confidentiality that overrides normal privacy obligations.
Question 4: The ethical principle of justice in pharmacy practice primarily refers to:
- Ensuring legal compliance in all dispensing activities
- Fair and equitable distribution of healthcare resources and services (Correct answer)
- Prosecuting patients who misuse medications
- Maintaining accurate financial records
Correct answer: Fair and equitable distribution of healthcare resources and services
Justice in healthcare ethics refers to fairness in the distribution of benefits, risks, and costs of healthcare.
Question 5: A pharmacist notices a colleague appears impaired while on duty. The appropriate action is:
- Ignore it as it is not their responsibility
- Confront the colleague publicly to deter future incidents
- Report the concern to the pharmacy manager or relevant authority immediately (Correct answer)
- Wait to see if the impairment affects a patient first
Correct answer: Report the concern to the pharmacy manager or relevant authority immediately
Patient safety requires immediate reporting of a colleague's impairment to the appropriate authority without delay.
Question 6: When a patient lacks decision-making capacity, medication decisions should be made by:
- The pharmacist based on clinical judgment
- The patient's legally authorized representative or substitute decision-maker (Correct answer)
- The prescribing physician alone
- A majority vote among healthcare team members
Correct answer: The patient's legally authorized representative or substitute decision-maker
When patients cannot make decisions, a legally authorized substitute decision-maker must be involved in accordance with applicable legislation.
Question 7: A pharmacist is asked to provide a reference for a colleague whom they know has had disciplinary issues. The ethical approach is:
- Provide a positive reference to support the colleague's career
- Decline to provide a reference if unable to give an honest one (Correct answer)
- Provide the reference and omit the disciplinary history
- Contact the colleague's lawyer before responding
Correct answer: Decline to provide a reference if unable to give an honest one
Honesty and integrity require that pharmacists either provide truthful references or decline, not provide misleading ones.
APC Professional Ethics and Standards 3
A pharmacist suspects a regular customer is misusing codeine-containing products.
The most appropriate action is: