Drugs, Ethics, and Quality of Life: Cases and Materials on Ethical, Legal, and Public Policy Dilemmas in Medicine and Pharmacy Practice

Weigh pivotal healthcare ethics, law, and public policy issues that resulted in tipping-point legal actions

Weighing the ethical considerations in healthcare and drug issues can be emotionally difficult and mentally challenging. Drugs, Ethics, and Quality of Life: Cases and Materials on Ethical, Legal, and Public Policy Dilemmas in Medicine and Pharmacy Practice is a fascinating casebook that clearly discusses the most contentious ethical conflicts that resulted in legal actions. This easy-to-read text provides all sides of controversial real-life cases that provoke spirited debate while teaching the fundamentals of pharmacy law and ethics. The book is a unique exploration into the basic principles of bioethics, end of life care, and drug research.

Drugs, Ethics, and Quality of Life explains in detail the concepts of ethics, quality of life, beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Recent cases provide illuminating backdrops for the exploration of these concepts, making them easily understood. A special introduction includes important information about ethics and the pharmaceutical code of ethics. Two appendixes provide further opportunities for discussion and the examination of law and decisions, and resources about drug use decisions and situations. This thought-provoking textbook plainly shows the crucial role ethics plays in today’s society.

Ethical topics explored in Drugs, Ethics, and Quality of Life includes legal cases on:

• tobacco
• COX-2 inhibitors
• medical marijuana
• the “morning after” pill and other emergency contraceptives
• pain medications and palliative care drugs
• physician-assisted suicide
• drug use in medically futile situations
• gene therapy
  
  

Drugs, Ethics, and Quality of Life is valuable, insightful reading as well as a good adjunct text for pharmacy students, pharmacists, medical students, physicians, bioethicists, students interested in bioethics, institutional ethics committee members, and anyone interested in bioethics.