Ethical Considerations In The Medical Field

Ethical considerations can be quite subjective as they are not consolidated through legislations. This can be defined more as a moral duty that paramedics must follow according to Blaber et al. (2012). Due to the demands of the job and having to make quick clinical decision, ethical consideration are sometimes put aside. This is why Beauchamp and Childress (2001) have created a list of four principles to approach ethics to help paramedics be better clinicians. These principles are for a sense of justice, nonmaleficence, beneficience and respect of autonomy.

The control of medicines by Paramedics in the United Kingdom (UK) are governed by British and European legislations as well as the Medical Medicines Act of 1968. This act was created to define three types of medicines: prescription only medicines (POMs), Pharmacy medicines (P) and general sales list (GSL) (NHS, 2010). It is regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which also allows paramedics to possess and administer certain POMs depending on if they have had appropriate training.
It is important to know that although these policies provide exemptions for Paramedics these legislations do not replace guidelines and local/national NHS Trusts’ policies. Thus, the clinician must understand their own scope of practice and adhere to their own policies as well as the legislations and acts (NHS,