Sally's Obligation: Re-Educate Patient on Alprazolam Prescription - Essay Sample

Introduction

Sally has an obligation to act as a concerned individual for the well-being of the client since it is quite odd to take medicine in such a pattern as she needs to adhere to the tablets. What Sally should do is ask the patient how she is taking Alprazolam and thus reeducate her that the direction for the prescription is three tablets in a day, and therefore, 90 tablets mean that she is supposed to get a refill in 30 days and not five days. Sally will need to inform the patient that she had five refills in three months, which exceeds the directions.

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Sally will then inform the patient to contact the MD in case her condition has changed; this way, she can gain a bit more understanding of the background information. It is according to the code of ethics of duty-based that holds the right and wrong-making characteristics of independent consequences. It suggests that morality is a matter of duty rather than merely evaluating consequences (Danan & Giraud-Rochon, 2017). Sally needs to stick to the right things to do during her assignment.

Sally has the right to be concerned about the woman's pattern of use of alprazolam tablets. There is a potential for abuse or possible that the patient's condition worsens, and her dose needs to be adjusted, or other alternatives can be considered depending on what she's taking it for. It is according to the ethic known as nonmaleficence, where the idea that actions are wrong is so far as they produce bad. Sally needs to give priority to protecting the patient from harm rather than benefitting the patient.

Sally has a reason to report Dan and also other pharmacists to the manager because they may be doing more harm than good to the patient if they do not follow the prescription. It is according to the ethic of fidelity to the company. The principle describes that people owe to other certain acts based on commitments that they have made. For Sally, keeping her commitment to the company is a moral obligation. Breaking the promise is wrong despite the consequences. Dan needs to be aware that it is against the company's code of ethics to act in ways that seek to harm the client more so in their quest to overdose for their treatment. There could be better alternatives to make sure that the patient correctly takes the prescription and be strict on refills.

Sally has an ethical basis for refusing to fill the prescription. It is against her moral obligation to fill in the client's medication since it is clear that she has been overdosing and seems not to care about her condition. At this particular point, Sally needs to discuss the patient's condition with the manager instead of going directly to fill the prescription (Rakatansky, 2018). It seems that the patient's anxiety condition is getting out of hand, and there could be stronger prescriptions for the same instead of having to overdose. Sally needs to contact the manager ad discuss the issue of potential abuse as well as inform them of the frequent fills. It is according to the principle of deontology of the right and wrong things to do in a matter of duty.

The staff can use the five-step model for the moral decision-making process. They should respond to the feeling that something is wrong. The patient makes use of normative terms such as "want" and says that "I need that medication. If Dan were here, he would fill it". Sally is aware that giving more medication than required (5 fills in 3 months for controlled substance) to the patient is against the law. Asking for a specific pharmacist who filled it the last five times is odd and a red flag.

The second step is to gather information and assess the situation. In this case, the patient is filling her prescription too early for a controlled substance. All the individuals involved in the case possess values about many things, including values about health, honesty, professional competence, and loyalty. Sally needs to gather information concerning the medical status of the patient, history, diagnosis, general condition of the treatment given and not given.

The third step is to identify the ethical problem and consider a moral diagnosis. In the project case, the concern is whether clinical diagnosis fits moral diagnosis. The fourth step is to seek a resolution. It will be necessary to initiate follow up with MD to investigate the situation on why the patient is given this prescription. As a medical practitioner like Sally, one would be concerned about her pattern of use since Alprazolam can cause dependence and may cause cognitive impairment on overuse.

The fifth step is to work with others and determine a course of action. Work with the MD to let them know this isn't the right dose for any diagnosis. Work with the patient to let them know this drug has addictive potential with adverse side effects and that they should slowly stop taking it if they don't really need it. Work with Dan, the other pharmacist, about his filling habits. Work with Rx Manager to talk to Dan or talk to staff about refilling control prescriptions.

Works Cited

Danan, J. L., & Giraud-Rochon, F. (2017). Code of ethics for nurses and territory hospital group. Soins; la revue de reference infirmiere, 62(818), 41-44.

Rakatansky, H. (2018). AMA Code of Ethics: Roots, Revisions and Relevance Today. Rhode Island Medical Journal, 101(4), 12-14.