NURS 6521 Week 2 Assignment - Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

Assignment 2: Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs Overall, clinical trials are very important because they are the only way to provide reliable evidence with regards to the effect of treatment. Clinical trials that involve children are very rare. However, more of them would be helpful as it will increase practitioners’ knowledge with regards to the effectiveness of medicine (FDA, 2017). The problem is that prescription in children depends on trials that involve adults. Yet, children are unique individuals with complex developmental, pharmacological, physiological, and psychological characteristics different from those of adults (Hwang, Randolph & Bourgeois, 2020). This case scenario involves a 7-year-old male by the name JJ. He is asthmatic and previous medications have failed to effectively deal with his condition. If he tries the new medication, there is a chance that it could improve his situation and prove more efficient than previous medications. However, he is still a child; therefore, there are ethical and legal concerns that present themselves in this case. As a prescriber, it is unethical to include him in the study because he is not of legal age. Research should include adults that are of legal age. However, the child’s family can help solve this by giving consent on behalf of the child. I would therefore talk to his parents and see if they can agree to this trial. If they agree, we should then explain to the child about the trial in a language that they would understand. This can then become informed consent. Nonetheless, I should ensure that there is a clinical benefit to the drug. The law requires that studies that give drugs to children showcase a potential for benefit so as to justify the risk. More so, as a prescriber, it is important to understand the authority we have over medication and medical services. There are legal implications that come with prescribing medicines. There are also ethical obligations as shown above (Duquesne University (School of Nursing), 2020). One important thing to consider is the need to disclose a prescription error if it 3 happens. I should explain to not only the patients but also those in the team with regards to the error, how it happened, the negative impact, and how to solve the error and prevent it from happening in the future. To avoid such a scenario, it is important to ask certain questions concerning the drug, for instance: Will the drug treat the presenting problem? Is it the best? Any contraindications? Correct dosage? Patient has any allergies? Will it impact a patient's lifestyle? The right route of administration? One of the strategies I would use to arrive at a decision is the cost-benefit analysis method. It is a simple method where the cost and benefits of the decision (administering the drug) are weighed against each other. If the costs outweigh the benefits, then there will be no need to administer. If the benefits outweigh the cost, then I can administer the drug. Another strategy is hypothesis testing. This involves using any available clinical evidence and research findings to support the decision made (Duquesne University (School of Nursing), 2020). When it comes to disclosing any errors, I would do so because it is the right thing to do. It gives us the chance to rectify the mistakes and avoid them in the future. I would also utilize the best prescribing strategies. The World Health Organization has set out a number of steps towards this. The first is to define the patient’s problem. The second step is to determine the drug’s therapeutic objective. Next is to pick the best medication and provide the patient with information, instructions, and any warning. Next is to regularly monitor how the patient is reacting to the drug. It will help to use electronic drug references and prescription software to reduce risk of errors. 4 References Duquesne University (School of Nursing). (2020, May 20). The APRN’s role and responsibility in ethical prescribing. Retrieved from responsibility-ethical-prescribing/ FDA. (2017, 21 March). Would your child benefit from a clinical trial? Retrieved from Hwang, T. J., Randolph, A. G., & Bourgeois, F. T. (2020). Inclusion of children in clinical trials of treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMA. WHO. Medication without harm. Retrieved from without-harm