Medical Ethics Case Study
Who Can Prescribe Medicine?
Does Jerry's medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not?
Generally, LPNs and medical assistants are qualified to dispense medication prescribed by a physician ("Medical assistant, 2011). A medical assistant is a trained medical professional who works under the supervision of a board-certified physician ("Medical assistant, 2011). Typically, a medical assistant's work is administrative, but it may also include clinical duties ("Medical assistant, 2011). The administrative duties performed by a medical assistant might include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, greeting patients, and such. Clinical duties that may be performed by a medical assistant include taking vital signs, preparing patients for exams, drawing blood, and administering medication ("Medical assistant, 2011)..
In Jerry's case, the medical office includes a receptionist who normally takes telephone calls. This tends to indicate that the office administrative duties may be delegated to the receptionist. But this is not necessarily the case. Regardless, the extent to which Jerry is expected to carry out clinical duties will be determined by the physician for whom he works and Jerry's training and certification. That said, writing a refill for a prescription can only be conducted by someone who has the authority to prescribe medication. Jerry's certification as an LPN and a medical assistant do not qualify him to refill a prescription -- even for a current patient of the supervising physician.
The Nature of Medical Care Provided
Would it make a difference if the medication requested were for control of high blood pressure that the patient critically needs on a daily basis? Why or why not?
Jerry would not be able to prescribe medication -- which is essentially what writing a refill does -- even if the medication being refilled was for a current patient and for medication that had been prescribed by the supervising physician on a long-standing basis. The same stipulations apply under both conditions. Jerry would not be privy to all the information that the physician has due to his...
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