Health Care Management Ethics - Essay Example

? ID Lecturer Ethics Case Study Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? Being an office assistant under Dr. Williams, Jerry McCall does not have the permission to issue a refill order. Since he is not trained and qualified enough, he cannot prescribe medicines that he thinks would do the trick for his patients. He needs to have proper approval of Dr. Williams in order to allow someone to make use of a medicine, which in this case is none other than Valium itself. Jerry’s training within the medical field surrounds him to not be in a position from where he can prescribe anyone a medicine. This makes him disqualified to resolve an issue at hand, which in this case has happened when Dr. Williams was not present on his seat. There is a possibility that Dr. Williams has essentially forbidden dosage of Valium to a certain patient, and in this case if Jerry McCall prescribes usage of Valium just on the basis of being Dr. Williams’ friend, then this shall become an ethical issue all the same. Hence it would be fitting enough for Jerry McCall to keep himself at a distance from making that unethical move by prescribing medicine to this patient which basically transgresses his authority by quite a fair proportion. 2 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? One should believe that it would not be any different if the requested medication controls high blood pressure. There would be no difference if the discussion centered on lowering it all the same. The reason for this is that the kind of medication required to be given by Jerry McCall or any other person in charge is uncalled for. He should seek the advice of Dr. Williams and since he is not present on his seat, it would be a wise decision to stay put and ask Dr. Williams’ friend to wait for a certain while. Dr. Williams alone would be the best person to suggest which medicine and how much dosage would be deemed as a fitting one for his friend under such a circumstance. The patient must know that Dr. Williams only can help him and no one else from his staff has the right or the authority to issue a refill order. 3 If Jerry calls in the refill and the patient has an adverse reaction while flying, is Jerry protected from a lawsuit under the doctrine of respondent superior? It is safe to suggest that Jerry McCall would not gain any protection from a lawsuit. This is because under the basis of the doctrine of respondent superior, if the patient feels that he has had an adverse reaction even though he is flying; there are serious legal issues which will come to the fore. There would be serious charges for Jerry McCall as he will be the one who brought about the medication realms towards the patient. Essentially speaking, it will also make Dr. Williams duty bound and thus he would also have to undergo the lawsuit as Jerry is his employee. Since the medication was never appreciated in the first place and was totally uncalled for, the role that Jerry plays under such a situation becomes even more significant. The reason for this is that he was never given the permission to provide for medication to patients as he does not qualify for any post within Dr. Williams’ office. One must not forget that he is an office assistant, and thus his job domains do not allow him to administer issuing a refill order for patients as and when required by the patients. Hence, the lawsuit would come about on Jerry McCall as well as Dr. Williams for being negligent towards their duties and for being unethical within their working basis (Weber, 2000). 4 What is your advice to Jerry? If someone could give an advice to Jerry, it would be that he should perform his job alone and not think about doing something which can be regarded as an immoral act. He must not interfere within the working basis of his employer – Dr. Williams. If he does so, he will be able to maintain his work composure and attain what he has thought of in his mind with regards to the work routines and ethical manifestations. He will in addition contribute in a pragmatic manner towards Dr. Williams and fulfill the related expectations nonetheless. Additionally, Jerry will guarantee that his work realms are such that he would not be allotted any responsibility for those undertakings which are uncalled for and disallowed on his part. Also he must limit himself to office administration work regimes and not enter into zones which are not inclusive of his job focus. Prescribing any medications would be the last thing that he should venture into since it is something that does not come anywhere close to his work ethos. 5 Identify major legal and ethical issues that may affect Jerry’s decision. One can identify some of the more important legal and ethical issues which might affect Jerry’s decision through an understanding of the legalities and ethical considerations which are involved. Major lawsuits could be enacted in the name of Jerry and Dr. Williams for their act of negligence if the refill is issued and it transpires to something drastic for the patient. There is immense trouble waiting in the store for both Jerry and Dr. Williams and they must be aware of the same at all times. From a moral standpoint, Jerry’s decision could mean quite a lot because the ethical boundaries need to be crossed if the refill is issued for the patient, and hence the transgression would start automatically (Dewett, 2006). The duty that Jerry has should be carried out in an ethical fashion and if there are any problems, these need to be discussed with individuals who are sitting at important positions. This will make things easier for all and sundry, and relieve Jerry of the ethical and legal troubles that can crop up at any time and without any notice. 6 What problem-solving methods might be helpful to assist in making an ethical decision? A few problem-solving methods that can be deemed as helpful towards making an ethical decision surround the basis of properly delegating the right people for the right job. If Dr. Williams was away, perhaps it was significant for the clinic to appoint someone qualified enough to administer such realms upon the patients. He would have been the one who could address client queries and answer on all medical related issues with the patients. Also problems could be done away with when Dr. Williams realized that he was running a clinic which basically allowed people to get better and healthier. He should never allow someone to venture into zones which ask for patients to take the clinic staff for a ride. References Dewett, T. (2006). Evaluating ethical decision-making models: a review and application. Society and Business Review 1(3) Weber, L. (2000). Health care management ethics Reflections on quality. Research in Ethical Issues in Organizations 2 Read More