Health Care
Ethics Case Study
Ethics Case Study
"Jerry McCall is Dr. William 's office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. What should he do"(Fremgen, 2009, p. 85)?
Although Jerry is certified as a medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse (LPN), this does not mean he has the authority to prescribe any form of medication to any person for any reason; it is not in his scope of practice. Jerry’s scope of practice which is what he is allowed to do with in his certifications legally will allow him to take vitals, treat wounds, administer some injections under the supervision of physicians, and in a hospital setting monitor patients on catheters and oxygen provisions. Additionally, Jerry is a medical assistant and is a multi-skilled health care professional who assists with administrative, clerical, and technical support in relation to helping the physician. The scope of Jerry’s training is limited to all of the above mentioned duties and none of them mention that he can administer medications. Dr. William’s patient is a personal friend, but regardless of the type of medication he needs for any condition, Jerry should call the physician to help assist the patient in his situation or inform the patient to call the physician himself to prescribe the medication for him if it is an emergency situation. He should do one of these two things because legally he is not allowed to write prescriptions or give any type of medication for any reason under his scope of practice. The only way a prescription
Ethics Case Study
"Jerry McCall is Dr. William 's office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. What should he do"(Fremgen, 2009, p. 85)?
Although Jerry is certified as a medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse (LPN), this does not mean he has the authority to prescribe any form of medication to any person for any reason; it is not in his scope of practice. Jerry’s scope of practice which is what he is allowed to do with in his certifications legally will allow him to take vitals, treat wounds, administer some injections under the supervision of physicians, and in a hospital setting monitor patients on catheters and oxygen provisions. Additionally, Jerry is a medical assistant and is a multi-skilled health care professional who assists with administrative, clerical, and technical support in relation to helping the physician. The scope of Jerry’s training is limited to all of the above mentioned duties and none of them mention that he can administer medications. Dr. William’s patient is a personal friend, but regardless of the type of medication he needs for any condition, Jerry should call the physician to help assist the patient in his situation or inform the patient to call the physician himself to prescribe the medication for him if it is an emergency situation. He should do one of these two things because legally he is not allowed to write prescriptions or give any type of medication for any reason under his scope of practice. The only way a prescription
References: Fremgen, B.F. (2009). Medical Law and Ethics( 3rd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Thorton, R. J. (July 2010, July 2010). Responsibility for the acts of others. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 313-315. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900989/ Velasquez, M., Andre, C., Shanks, T., & Myer, M. (2010). What is Ethics? Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/whatisethics.html