Code of Pharmaceutical ethics
Code of Pharmaceutical Ethics maybe defined as 'code of moral principles' or ‘the science of morals’ which are required to be followed by a Registered Pharmacist in his profession. It has been prepared and developed by the ‘Pharmacy Council of India’ which is meant to guide the pharmacist as to how he/she should conduct himself/herself or employers or general public or co-professionals and patients. These Moral Principles are not governed by Act or rules, but prescribed only as certain Moral Principles required to be followed by the pharmacist in order to make him a good citizen and the best pharmacist so that he is recognized by the society. It emphasizes on the determination of right or wrong while doing one's duty.
Accordingly the Code of Pharmaceutical ethics has been classified into 4 types as follows:-
I. Pharmacist in relation to his job.
II. Pharmacist in relation to his trade.
III. Pharmacist in relation to his Medical profession.
IV. Pharmacist in relation to his own profession.
I. Pharmacist in relation to his job:
A) Premises
1. When premises are registered under statutory requirements and opened as a pharmacy, extensive pharmaceutical services should be provided.
2. These involve the supply of commonly required medicines without undue delay and furnish emergency supplies, at all times.
3. The appearance of the place should reflect the professional character of pharmacy and indicate to the public that the practice of pharmacy is carried out in the establishment.
4. There should be qualified pharmacist having personal control over pharmacy.
B) Pharmaceutical Services
1. Pharmacy premises (i.e. chemist and druggist or a pharmacy) should be licensed.
2. The drugs should be dispensed only under the supervision of a Registered Pharmacist.
3. Emergency medicines and common medicines should be supplied to the patients without any delay.
1. When a prescription is presented for dispensing, it should be received by a pharmacist without any comment or discussion over it, regarding the merits and demerits of its therapeutic efficiency or about the prescriber.
2. It is not within a capacity of a pharmacist to add, omit or substitute any ingredient or alter the composition of a prescription without the consent of a prescriber.
3. In case of any obvious error in it, due to any omissions it should be referred back to the prescriber for correction.
4. When such an act is necessary, it should neither offend the customer nor affect the reputation of the prescriber.
D) Handling of drugs: -
1. Prescription should be correctly dispensed with the drugs of standard quality.
2. All the ingredients must be weighed or measured correctly and must be in exact proportions and volumes.
3. Error of accidental contamination in the preparation, dispensing and supply of medicines should be checked in a pharmacy.
E) Trainee pharmacists:-
Proper training should be given to the trainee pharmacists by the “Registered Pharmacist” of the firm so that the trainee gets well acquainted with handling of prescriptions and dispensing of drugs.
II) Pharmacist in relation to his trade
A. Price structure:-
1. Prices charged from customers must be in accordance with the quality and quantity of drugs including his compounding charges.
2. He should neither charge excess nor charge very low price for the drugs dispensed and it should be a fare price
B. Fair trade practice:-
1. No attempts should be made to get business by unethical and cut throat competitions with his co-professionals.
2. Labels, trade names, and signs and symbols of others should not be imitated
3. No attempt should be made to capture other Pharmacist’s business by offering any sort of prices or gifts
C. Purchase of drugs:
1. Always standard drugs must be purchased from reputable and genuine sources having authorised licenses (i.e. from only licensed manufacturers and distributors).
2. The pharmacist should not be directly or indirectly involved in manufacture, possession, distribution and sale of adulterated drugs, spurious drugs, misbranded drugs or sub-standard drugs.
D. Hawking of drugs:
1. Hawking of drugs and medicines should not be encouraged nor should any attempt be made to get orders for such substances from door to door.
2. Pharmacies and drug stores should not encourage the method of self servicing or counter sales without the qualified person.
3. They should discourage self medication which is dangerous and highly undesirable.
E. Advertising and display:
The pharmacist should not advertise or display in his premises, in the press, elsewhere, regarding the sale of medicines, which claim to cure and any other advertisements or display containing:-
1. A guarantee of therapeutic efficiency.
2. An appeal to fear.
3. An offer to refund money paid.
4. Incentive schemes.
5. Any reference to a specific medical practitioner or a hospital.
6. Any reference to sexual weakness, premature ageing or loss of virility (impotence).
7. Any reference to condemn the products of similar nature of other companies.
III. Pharmacist in relation to his medical profession
Following are the code of ethics of a pharmacist in relation to medical profession:-
1. The professional activity of the medical practitioner as well as the pharmacists should be confined to their own field only.
2. Medical practitioners should neither possess drug stores nor sell and dispense the drugs whereas pharmacists should not diagnose diseases and prescribe remedies.
3. A pharmacist may however deliver first aid to the victim in-case of accident or emergency.
4. No pharmacist should recommend a particular medical practitioner and he should never enter into any secret arrangement with a particular doctor to offer them commission by recommending his dispensary or drug store.
5. He should maintain strict professional secrecy and should not disclose any information of a patient unless required to do so by law.
6. A pharmacist should always maintain proper link between physicians and patients. He should advise the physicians on pharmaceutical matters and should educate the people regarding health and hygiene.
IV. Pharmacist in relation to his profession:-
Regarding his own profession the following code of ethics should be fulfilled by a pharmacist.
1. The pharmacist should keep himself/herself up-to-date with pharmaceutical knowledge from various journals or publications.
2. Any information acquired by a pharmacist during his professional activities should not be disclosed to any third party until and unless required to do so by law.
3. The pharmacist must be law obeying citizen and must fulfil the provisions of the pharmaceutical and other laws and regulations.
4. He should have a good relationship with his own professional organizations.
5. He should maintain dignity, decorum, decency and propriety of his profession.
6. A pharmacist must abide by the Pharmaceutical Laws and must ensure that other pharmacists are also abiding by these laws.
7. A pharmacist should have a fair knowledge of the different laws of the country especially pertaining to food, drugs, pharmacy, health, sanitation etc.
8. He should be in a position to advise and suggest his patients about existing diseases, prevention to be taken, sanitation to be followed, type of doctors to be approached and act as a Community Pharmacist.
9. A Pharmacist should be actively involved in professional organizations by becoming a member to the Pharmaceutical Organization like Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Indian Hospital Pharmacist Association, Chemist and Druggist Association, etc. and try to participate in all the conventions, meetings, seminars, etc. so that he can enhance his knowledge in Pharmacy.
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