Medical Ethics and Law Flashcards
7 cards from real PEBC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Medical Ethics and Law flashcards as text
A patient refuses a life-saving blood transfusion on religious grounds. The pharmacist's primary ethical obligation is to:
Answer: Respect the patient's autonomous decision
Respect for patient autonomy means honouring a competent adult's informed refusal of treatment, even life-saving treatment.
Under Canadian pharmacy law, which document authorizes a pharmacist to adapt a prescription by changing the dose?
Answer: Provincial pharmacy regulations permitting adaptation
Each province's pharmacy regulations define the scope of pharmacist adaptation authority, including dose changes.
The ethical principle of justice in pharmacy practice primarily concerns:
Answer: Distributing healthcare resources fairly and equitably
Justice refers to fair distribution of benefits and burdens across patients and society, including equitable access to medications.
A pharmacist discovers a dispensing error made by a colleague that did not harm the patient. What is the most appropriate action?
Answer: Report it to the pharmacy manager and document it per incident reporting policy
Near-miss errors must be reported internally and documented to improve systems and prevent future harm.
Which of the following best describes 'therapeutic privilege' in the context of informed consent?
Answer: Withholding information from a patient believing disclosure would cause harm
Therapeutic privilege is a controversial doctrine where a clinician withholds information to prevent psychological harm, but it is rarely ethically justified.
A patient asks a pharmacist not to share their HIV medication history with their family physician. The pharmacist should:
Answer: Honour the request unless there is an overriding public safety concern
Patient confidentiality must be respected; disclosure without consent is only justified in specific legally defined circumstances.
When a pharmacist has a conscientious objection to dispensing a legally prescribed medication, the primary duty is to:
Answer: Ensure the patient receives timely access to care through referral or transfer
While pharmacists may exercise conscientious objection, they must not abandon the patient and must facilitate access to the medication elsewhere.