MCCQE Ethics and Legal Duties 5

Question 1

A pharmaceutical company offers a physician an all-expenses-paid trip to a resort in exchange for prescribing their medication. This arrangement is best described as:

Accepted Answer

An inappropriate conflict of interest and potential bribery

Answer

Acceptable continuing medical education

Answer

A standard industry practice permitted by the CMA

Answer

Acceptable if the physician discloses it to patients

Question 2

A physician inadvertently makes a medication error that causes patient harm. What is the ethical obligation regarding disclosure?

Accepted Answer

Proactively disclose the error, apologize, and explain the steps taken to prevent recurrence

Answer

Disclose only if the patient directly asks

Answer

Disclose only to the hospital risk management team

Answer

Document the error in the chart without informing the patient

Question 3

What distinguishes therapeutic privilege from withholding information inappropriately?

Accepted Answer

Therapeutic privilege is rarely justified and applies only when disclosure itself would directly cause serious harm

Answer

Therapeutic privilege allows withholding information whenever the physician feels it is best

Answer

Therapeutic privilege requires family consent before withholding information

Answer

Therapeutic privilege is standard practice for all bad-news disclosures

Question 4

A patient's substitute decision-maker demands aggressive life-sustaining treatment that the medical team believes is non-beneficial and causing suffering. The most appropriate next step is:

Accepted Answer

Engage in conflict resolution, involve ethics consultation, and consider legal review if needed

Answer

Immediately withdraw treatment without further discussion

Answer

Comply fully with all substitute decision-maker demands

Answer

Transfer the patient to another facility without discussion

Question 5

Under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA and provincial equivalents), a patient's health information can be disclosed without consent in which situation?

Accepted Answer

When required by law, such as mandatory public health reporting

Answer

When a family member requests it for estate planning

Answer

When the employer requests it for occupational records

Answer

When a lawyer requests it for an unrelated legal matter

Question 6

A medical student performing a supervised procedure causes harm due to a technical error. Who bears the primary legal responsibility?

Accepted Answer

The supervising physician and the institution

Answer

The medical student alone

Answer

The hospital administration only

Answer

No one, as student errors are exempt from liability

Question 7

A physician suspects that an elderly patient is being financially abused by a family caregiver. The patient denies abuse and asks the physician to stay out of it. What is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Assess capacity, document concerns, provide resources, and consider mandatory reporting if legally required in the province

Answer

Respect the patient's wishes entirely and take no action

Answer

Immediately report to police without patient knowledge

Answer

Discharge the patient from the practice