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NURS-6521C Week 1: Assignment 2 ETHICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PRESCRIBING DRUGS
By the 7th day of Week 1
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Compose a 2- to 3-page document addressing the following:
Clarify the ethical and legal consequences of the chosen scenario on all involved parties, such as the prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and patient’s family.
Outline approaches to manage disclosure and nondisclosure as identified in the chosen scenario. Make sure to reference specific state laws.
Elaborate on two strategies you, as an advanced practice nurse, would adopt to guide your decision-making in this situation, including whether you would reveal your mistake. Provide reasoned justification for your explanation.
Detail the process of composing prescriptions, incorporating strategies to lessen medication errors.
NURS-6521C Week 1: Assignment 2 ETHICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PRESCRIBING DRUGS
Moral and Legal Implications of Drug Prescription
Advanced nurse practitioners must deliver high-quality care to their patients. These professionals must adhere to ethical, legal, and professional standards when carrying out their responsibilities. Nurses should gather essential information to prevent errors when prescribing drugs (Segal et al., 2019). These errors can be life-threatening, and the prescribing nurse could face ethical and legal consequences. However, there are legal frameworks and policies in place to reduce medication errors through reporting systems implemented by hospitals. Medical professionals, including nurses, must follow guidelines to ensure patient safety. The role of nurses in medication administration goes beyond simply writing prescriptions accurately. The provider must understand potential side effects and drug interactions. The case scenario involves a 72-year-old male who is unresponsive due to a massive stroke. This paper will explore the ethical and legal implications related to the selected scenario, how to handle disclosure and nondisclosure, and the process of prescribing medications.
Ethical and Legal Implications
The act of prescribing involves various stakeholders, including the prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and patient’s family. These stakeholders must adhere to legal and ethical guidelines to avoid serious consequences, such as patient harm or death. These individuals are responsible for the lives of many people and must prevent prescription errors. Therefore, healthcare professionals are accountable and may be held legally responsible for mistakes made during the prescription process. In this scenario, as the patient is unresponsive, the family plays a crucial role in providing the practitioner with essential information about the patient. Understanding the patient’s medical history and educating the family can facilitate the prescription process. For instance, in this case, the practitioner faces a dilemma as the spouse believes her husband would not want to live in an unresponsive state, while the daughter believes there is a chance of recovery. Therefore, the practitioner needs to educate both family members to avoid ethical and legal issues after the prescription. Thus, the ethical and legal implications may start with the prescriber recommending an inappropriate medication, leading to complications or even death for the patient. Since the patient is unresponsive, the responsibility for making medication decisions lies with the patient’s family. The practitioner must exercise caution when making any prescription-related decisions for the elderly patient. Failing to involve both family members in medication decisions would be ethically questionable.
Furthermore, pharmacists play a crucial role in assisting patients in optimizing their medication use. If an agreement is reached between the prescriber and the family, the next stakeholder involved is the pharmacist. This professional must help the patient derive maximum benefit from the prescribed medications. This includes advising the patient on how to take the medication to achieve the best results for their health. Honesty is a fundamental aspect of this role. Therefore, pharmacists are obligated to provide truthful information about medications, including potential side effects. For example, the pharmacist may come across information indicating that a specific prescribed drug could have adverse effects on the elderly patient. It is the pharmacist’s duty to share this information with both the prescriber and the patient’s family to prevent potential complications. Providing comprehensive information, including details about side effects, is of utmost importance.
Similarly, the family has a significant role in determining how to proceed in this situation. If they decide to attempt to revive the patient, they need to exercise due diligence during the prescription process. In case they identify any errors in the prescription, they are legally obligated to report the issue. As for the patient, given his unresponsive state, decisions are made collaboratively between healthcare professionals and the family.
Approaches to Address Disclosure and Nondisclosure
Healthcare professionals must approach the concepts of nondisclosure and disclosure thoughtfully to enhance patient safety (Zaghloul et al., 2018). In the presented scenario, the patient’s unresponsive state creates a situation where errors are possible if the prescriber does not thoroughly assess the patient’s medical history and current condition before making medication recommendations. Additionally, the pharmacist’s responsibility to provide comprehensive information, including side effects, cannot be ignored. However, these professionals can rectify any potential errors by communicating openly with the patient and all other stakeholders. Medication errors are not uncommon, but the manner in which disclosure or nondisclosure occurs holds significant importance. For example, in Texas, HB No 1614 pertains to the reporting of medical errors. This approach has the advantage of enhancing oversight of professionals prone to errors and increasing the seriousness with which errors are dealt with.
Decision-Making Strategies in this Case
The decision-making strategies encompass both legal and ethical codes of conduct. The ethical standards require healthcare professionals to prevent harm or injury to patients. Therefore, guided by this ethical principle, I would choose to disclose any mistake to prevent potential harm caused by nondisclosure, such as adverse effects due to lack of awareness of side effects. Furthermore, both state and federal laws mandate the accountability of medical professionals. Therefore, I would have a duty to disclose any errors to the patient and the healthcare institution to rectify the mistake and prevent potential legal implications in certain situations.
Process of Writing Prescriptions
The prescription-writing process involves several steps. First, the patient’s condition must be assessed and defined accurately. Without this initial step, creating a prescription would be challenging. Next, specifying the therapeutic goal allows the healthcare professional to tailor the prescription to a specific objective with anticipated outcomes. Additionally, selecting an appropriate, cost-effective, and effective drug therapy is crucial. Moreover, initiating therapy with pertinent information and considering non-pharmacological treatments is essential. Legibility and clarity in prescriptions are paramount (Brits et al., 2017). Providing information on dosage, warnings, and instructions is also crucial when writing a prescription. Notably, The National Coordinating Council on Medication Error Reporting and Prevention recommends avoiding abbreviations for instructions and drug names to prevent medication errors (Tariq et al., 2018). The integration of technology, such as computers, can also help minimize errors.
In conclusion, prescribing drugs carries significant responsibilities, as errors in medication administration can have serious consequences. Therefore, advanced nurse practitioners with prescription privileges must be well-versed in legal and ethical guidelines and implications. They need to understand that they could face legal consequences if medication errors occur. Furthermore, it’s important to recognize that healthcare professionals are prohibited by law from prescribing medications to family members. In the event of a medication error, it’s crucial for the healthcare professional to disclose the information to relevant stakeholders, including the patient. Following institutional protocols and evidence-based practices can help prevent errors and enhance patient safety.
References
Brits, H., Botha, A., Niksch, L
NURS-6521C Week 1: Assignment 2 ETHICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PRESCRIBING DRUGS
BY DAY 7 OF WEEK 1
Write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:
- Explain the ethical and legal implications of the scenario you selected on all stakeholders involved, such as the prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and patient’s family.
- Describe strategies to address disclosure and nondisclosure as identified in the scenario you selected. Be sure to reference laws specific to your state.
- Explain two strategies that you, as an advanced practice nurse, would use to guide your decision making in this scenario, including whether you would disclose your error. Be sure to justify your explanation.
- Explain the process of writing prescriptions, including strategies to minimize medication errors.
NURS-6521C Week 1: Assignment 2 ETHICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PRESCRIBING DRUGS
Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs
Advanced nurse practitioners must offer quality care to patients. These professionals must follow ethical, legal, and professional guidelines while conducting these duties. The nurse must gather vital information to avoid drug administration mistakes when prescribing drugs (Segal et al., 2019). These errors are fatal, and the prescribing nurse may face legal and ethical implications. Nonetheless, legal structures and policies exist to decrease medical administration mistakes via reporting systems incorporated by hospitals. Nurses and other medical professionals must adhere to guidelines to guarantee patient safety. The duty of nurses in medical administration exceeds simply writing a prescription accurately. The provider must comprehend the side effects and drug interactions. The case scenario involves a 72-year-old unresponsive male with a massive stroke. This paper will examine the ethical and illegal implications linked to the chosen scenario, the metrics of dealing with nondisclosure and disclosure, and the process of prescribing medications.
Ethical and Legal Implications
Prescription encompasses stakeholders like the prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and the patient’s family. These stakeholders must follow legal and ethical guidelines to avoid serious issues like patient death. These stakeholders are responsible for many people’s lives and must prevent prescription errors. Thus healthcare professionals are accountable and liable for mistakes made during a prescription process. In this scenario, since the patient is nonresponsive, the family must provide the practitioner with all vital data about the patient. Understanding the patient’s history and educating the family may help the prescription process. For instance, in this scenario, the practitioner is in a dilemma because the spouse contends that her husband may not wish to live in a nonresponsive state, while the daughter believes the father has a chance. Thus, the practitioner must educate both family members to avoid legal and ethical issues after prescription. Hence, the ethical or legal implications may begin with the prescriber recommending the wrong medication, which may lead to the patient’s complications or death. The patient is nonresponsive, meaning the medication decision is left to the patient and family. The practitioner must be careful when making any medical prescription to the old patient. Not involving both family members when making drug recommendations will be unethical.
Further, pharmacists assist people in making excellent utilization of drugs. If there is an agreement between the prescriber and the family, the next stakeholder is the pharmacist. This stakeholder must strive to help the patient to accomplish optimum gain from the prescribed drugs. This means the professional will advise the patient on how to take the medication to achieve optimum health. Also, this healthcare professional must be an honest person. This implies that the professional must tell the truth concerning certain medications. For example, the pharmacist may collect data on a specific prescribed drug affecting the old patient. The professional must provide this information to the prescriber and the family to avoid complications. Disclosing complete information, including the medication’s side effects, is critical.
Further, the family must agree on how to handle this situation. If they decide to try to revive the patient, they must ask for due diligence during the prescription. If they arrest any prescription mistake, they are legally obligated to report the issue. As for the patient, the decisions lie with the healthcare professionals and family since he is nonresponsive.
Strategies to Tackle Disclosure and Nondisclosure
Healthcare professionals must handle nondisclosure and disclosure in a formidable manner to improve patient safety (Zaghloul et al., 2018). In this scenario, the patient is old and nonresponsive, meaning errors may occur if the prescriber recommends drugs without thoroughly scrutinizing the patient’s history and the current situation. Also, the pharmacist may ignore providing all necessary data, like side effects. Nonetheless, these professionals may correct these errors by informing the patient and all other stakeholders. Medication errors happen often, but how disclosure or nondisclosure happens matters a lot. For instance, in Texas, HB No 1614 relates to reporting medical mistakes. The strategy’s benefit is its ability to elevate the monitoring of professionals making mistakes and the intensity of the errors.
Strategies for Decision-Making in this Case
The two strategies comprise legal and ethical codes of conduct. The set moral standards need healthcare professionals not to expose clients to any harm or injury. Therefore, with this work ethic guiding me, I will disclose any mistake to prevent him from dying from drug-related damage that may arise from nondisclosure of particular issues like side effects. Also, state and federal laws ask for the accountability of medical professionals. Therefore, I will have an obligation to disclose any error to the patient and institution to correct the mistake and avoid legal obligation in some situations.
Process of Writing Prescription
The initial step is examining and defining the patient’s issue. Without this initial step, it would be challenging to make a prescription. Next, specifying the therapeutic goal will permit the professional to direct the prescription to a precise objective with projected results. Further, choosing a suitable, inexpensive, effective drug therapy is prudent. Moreover, it is appropriate to instigate therapy with pertinent details and the consideration of nonpharmacologic treatments. The prescriptions must be legible and clear (Brits et al., 2017). Data, warnings, and instructions are also vital when writing the prescription. Notably, The National Coordinating Council on Medication Error Reporting and Prevention suggests eradicating abbreviations for instructions and drug names to avoid medication errors (Tariq et al., 2018). Also, adopting computers and other tools may assist in eliminating mistakes.
In conclusion, providing drug prescriptions can lead to severe harm or death. Thus, advanced nurse practitioners with prescription powers must understand the legal and ethical guidelines and implications. They should understand that they may be held liable legally in case of any medication errors. Further, understanding that the law prohibits these practitioners from prescribing drugs to the family is vital. In the event of a medication error, it is paramount for the healthcare professional to disclose the information to relevant stakeholders, including the patient. Following institutional and evidence-based directions may help in averting errors.
References
Brits, H., Botha, A., Niksch, L., Venter, K., Terblanché, R., & Joubert, G. (2017). Illegible handwriting and other prescription errors on prescriptions at National District Hospital, Bloemfontein. Professional Nursing Today, 21(2), 53-56.
Segal, G., Segev, A., Brom, A., Lifshitz, Y., Wasserstrum, Y., & Zimlichman, E. (2019). Reducing drug prescription errors and adverse drug events by application of a probabilistic, machine-learning-based clinical decision support system in an inpatient setting. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(12), 1560-1565.
Tariq, R. A., Vashisht, R., Sinha, A., & Scherbak, Y. (2018). Medication dispensing errors and prevention.
Zaghloul, A. A., Elsergany, M., & Mosallam, R. (2018). A measure of barriers toward medical disclosure among health professionals in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Patient Safety, 14(1), 34-40.
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