NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

Walden University NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs-Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University  NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University  NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

The introduction for the Walden University  NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs 

After the introduction, move into the main part of the NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Sample Answer for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

When a patient enters the health center, medication is very likely to be administered. A health history and a patient’s medical evaluation are important things to examine when administering medication. A nurse or doctor should administer the care of the condition and be informed of the standard a condition should be offered depending on a background of health and physical inspection (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2020). In this discussion, the essay focuses on Scenario 2 to clarify the ethical and legal ramifications of patient family, prescriber, pharmacist and patient to all parties concerned. The discussion continues by explaining the methods I will use to drive decision-making for an experienced clinical nurse in the selected scenario.

Selected scenario

A colleague calls and demands for drugs to be taken for her. You are self-sufficient, but do not have the medical experience of your mate. Anyway, you write the drug.  The ethical, as well as legal implications of the scenario on all stakeholders such as the prescriber, pharmacist, patient, and patient’s family, discuss as follow:

Nurse Practitioner: A nurse who uses medications without performing the requisite testing, evaluation and legal consequences such as absence, as needed by the medical code of ethics, such as the Colorado “Medical Practice Act,” breaches the code and is unprofessional (Sabatino & Pruchnicki, 2017). The NP who prescribes medication for a friend without a medical background fears jeopardizing his permit since adverse reactions can turn fatal. A nurse has the ethical obligation to prescribe the best medication, but only after a medical exam and evaluation.

Pharmacist:  In mediation, a pharmacy dealer who carries out a prescription does not presume that the prescriber has made an examination, nor that the practitioner is ethically and legitimately liable for the background before the order is submitted. Thus, loading the Rx with the pharmacist’s chance of losing the license while knowing his clinical background.

Patient and family: Prescribing drugs to a patient is morally and technically permissible whether a patient may not have an awareness of his or her background, evaluation and allergies. Therefore the patient and the relatives will bring court charges against the nurse and pharmacy firm should any incident take place.

Strategies to Guide Decision making

The first strategy is to call the patient before prescribing medication and to make an appropriate date for a medical evaluation to reach the condition. Medical testing and an assessment may lead to the patient’s medical condition and, therefore, to the required medication (Musellim & Borekci, 2017).   In medical and personal interactions, faulty and incorrect prescribe inaccurate medications, less frequent usage for preventive treatment, loss of medical satisfactions, and escalated aggressive incidents against healthcare providers, maybe the result of a patient’s evaluation over a short duration of time. The patient assessment period could have been influenced too gradually or too rapidly.

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The second strategy is to do the clinical examination before administering medication to assess the condition of the patient. Clinical trials are study experiments in which patients actively undergo experimental therapeutic techniques, techniques or measures in order to avoid, diagnose, cure or control various conditions or diseases (Rosenthal & Burchum, 2020). Some studies consider how people react to a new procedure and what side effects may be created. The third method is to implement a prescriptive decision-making process by looking at the patient’s family members and their prior fitness. The prescriptive method of educated judgment aid approaches describes a variety of strategies to enable citizens to think differently about a decision.

Process of Writing Prescriptions

            There are important things that physicians should consider before writing medications. Relevant elements must also be considered. Again, it is necessary to remember that there are norms in various countries. The criteria specify that the details on medications are provided. Both medications usually tend to use a vocabulary the consumer can understand such that they can learn quickly how to take medicine. Secondly, it is important to write clearly in writing while writing the medication (Solanki & Shah, 2015). Third, it is necessary to determine the duration of usage of the medication and the days the patient is supposed to take. Additional detail used is subject to local drug laws. With the exponential advancement of technology, electronic prescribing will continue to reduce the cost-effectiveness of drug mistakes. Electronic prescribing is an efficient means of eliminating medication errors. The continuous dependency on handwriting writing is one of the factors that have made medication mistakes inevitable (Nickless & Davies, 2016). Handwritten prescriptions might be negligible. Problems like this can be overcome by technology-based prescribing, as this will help to reduce drug mistakes.

References

Musellim, B., & Borekci, S. (2017). What should be the appropriate minimal duration for patient examination and evaluation in pulmonary outpatient clinics? Annals of Thoracic Medicine, 12(3), 177–182. doi:10.4103/atm.ATM_396_16

Nickless, G., & Davies, R. (2016). How to take an accurate and detailed medication history. The Pharmaceutical Journal.

Rosenthal, L., & Burchum, J. (2020). Lehne’s Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants. Elsevier – Health Sciences Division.

Sabatino, J. A., & Pruchnicki, M. C. (2017). Improving prescribing practices: A pharmacist-led educational intervention for nurse practitioner students. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 29(5), 248-254. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12446

Solanki, N. D., & Shah, C. (2015). Prescription audit in outpatient department of multispecialty hospital in western India: an observational study. International Journal of Clinical Trials, 14-19.

Sample Answer 2 for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

In the case study provided for this assignment, an elderly male patient was admitted to the ICU after suffering a severe stroke that left him unresponsive and unable to talk. It was decided to mechanically ventilate the patient. Although the patient’s wife lacks advanced healthcare directives, she intuitively knows what the patient would have preferred, which is very different from the opinion of her adult daughter. While their daughter is adamant that her father would have desires to be supported in case there is any prospect of things becoming better, she is fairly certain that her husband might not want to live like this. The scenario’s ethical and legal ramifications for all parties involved are explained in this paper, along with methods for dealing with disclosure and nondisclosure issues and the decision-making process.

Ethical and Legal Implications

According to the scenario given, the patient suffered serious consequences as a result of the medication error, including a severe stroke that rendered him comatose. This case has several moral and legal ramifications. For instance, the prescriber can interfere with the patient’s right to self-determination (Ozeke et al., 2019). The concepts of beneficence and non-maleficence as well as disclosure and the right to information are additional ethical consequences. A malpractice lawsuit or the loss of the prescriber’s practicing license are other potential legal repercussions. Contrarily, the pharmacist is in charge of double-checking the prescription and notifying the prescriber of any medical errors so that the appropriate adjustments can be made.

As a result, in the scenario described above, the pharmacist may also suffer legal repercussions, such as losing his or her ability to practice medicine. The medication error has caused the most harm to the patient. Despite being denied his right to information and self-determination, he is unconscious. But, by bringing a lawsuit or complaining to higher authorities about the medical error, his family members can fight for the patient (Samundeeswari, 2018). Yet, because there are no advanced directives, they are unable to make decisions on the patient’s behalf.

Disclosure and Non-disclosure

Hospitals in Massachusetts are required by law to submit what are termed “serious reportable events” (SREs) to the Health and Human Services Department of Public Health as part of an attempt to identify and track issues with the delivery of healthcare. Additionally,  disclosure of unexpected results with a substantial medical problem is necessary under the Massachusetts Health Payment Reform Act, which took effect in November 2012 (Olazo et al., 2022). The MA legal system, and particularly tort law, which allows individuals or organizations to be sued in civil court for negligence and recover damages, puts a lot of pressure on the medical system to acknowledge mistakes, reimburse victims, and make adjustments to prevent further errors. Not reporting medical mistakes is also against patient-centered ethics. For the corrective action to be undertaken, the provider must investigate the healthcare organization’s policy and rules on the disclosure of medication errors and discuss with the supervisor how to do so (Ozeke et al., 2019).

Decision Making

I will be required to inform my supervisor of the error before informing the patient’s family following the patient’s right to self-determination and awareness. The policy and procedures for disclosing medication errors set forth by the healthcare organization served as the basis for this judgment (Robertson & Long, 2018). My supervisor will therefore assist in determining the best course of action to pursue as well as any potential legal repercussions that may be connected to the mistake. Since the patient is unconscious, his family members will be informed of this information and the appropriate course of action will be implemented (Melnyk et al., 2021).

Writing Prescriptions

To ensure patient safety and prevent medication errors, prescribing medications requires a high level of knowledge and skills. To write a valid prescription, the prescriber must adhere to all informational standards. The following steps are crucial when writing a prescription. The initial step is gathering patient data, such as diagnosis and demographics (de Arajo et al., 2019). Providing your information as the prescriber is the second step. The name, dosage form, strength, and frequency of the medicine to be administered are determined in the third phase. It’s crucial to record the precise dosage of the medication that has been prescribed. The indication of use and the number of refills are provided in the fourth phase. The prescriber must then sign the document at the conclusion. Prescribers are urged to use automated provider order entry to reduce prescription errors.

Conclusion

To ensure patient safety, it is critical to take into account legal and ethical standards given that nurses have a rising extent of prescriptive privileges. As a result, prescriptive practice among RNs is governed by particular laws in each state. Similar to the case study under discussion, breaking such rules is unethical for the patient and may have legal repercussions for the prescriber.

References

de Araújo, B. C., de Melo, R. C., de Bortoli, M. C., Bonfim, J. R. de A., & Toma, T. S. (2019). How to Prevent or Reduce Prescribing Errors: An Evidence Brief for Policy. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00439

Melnyk, B. M., Tan, A., Hsieh, A. P., Gawlik, K., Arslanian-Engoren, C., Braun, L. T., Dunbar, S., Dunbar-Jacob, J., Lewis, L. M., Millan, A., Orsolini, L., Robbins, L. B., Russell, C. L., Tucker, S., & Wilbur, J. (2021). Critical Care Nurses’ Physical and Mental Health, Worksite Wellness Support, and Medical Errors. American Journal of Critical Care, 30(3), 176–184. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021301

Olazo, K., Wang, K., Sierra, M., Barr-Walker, J., & Sarkar, U. (2022). Preferences and Perceptions of Medical Error Disclosure Among Marginalized Populations: A Narrative Review. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjq.2022.06.008

Ozeke, O., Ozeke, V., Coskun, O., & Budakoglu, I. I. (2019). Second victims in health care: current perspectives. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, Volume 10, 593–603. https://doi.org/10.2147/amep.s185912

Robertson, J. J., & Long, B. (2018). Suffering in Silence: Medical Error and its Impact on Health Care Providers. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 54(4), 402–409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2017.12.001

Samundeeswari, A. (2018). Nurses’ Knowledge on Prevention of Medication Error. Journal of Medical Science and Clinical Research, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i3.45

Sample Answer 2 for NURS 6521 Ethical and Legal Implications of Prescribing Drugs

Ethical and Legal Implications on Stakeholders

It is a responsibility of a Nurse Practitioner (NP) to collect patient data by taking his or her medical history and conducting examination prior to initiating any prescription of medication. This move is essential for a NP to accurately diagnose the patient and offer an appropriate treatment plan (Rossi, Lipsey & Henry, 2018). In the case at hand, although the NP had autonomy to prescribe, the NP neither took patient history nor conducted physical examination, which is a contravention of ethical principles. Besides, the NP ought to understand the move was against the laws and regulations that operate in Texas to guide the practice. Therefore, the NP risk facing legal implications should the patient report any adverse effects due to medical malpractice. On the other hand, the pharmacist has an ethical and legal obligation to provide education to patient on the right use of the any prescribed medication and their possible side effects before issuing the patient with the medication. Therefore, failure to do this may attract legal actions. The patient and the patient’s family on their side had a responsibility to report any adverse reaction to medication to the NP for proper action including change or discontinuation of medication.  Besides, they are allowed to initiate legal action against NP for negligence.

Strategies to Address Disclosure and Nondisclosure

In the present scenario, it is appropriate to report to the matter to the physician and consult on the best way forward. Essentially, in Texas, the NP is required to collaborate with physicians to form a relationship that fosters consultation and referral. However, many NPs do not trust this strategy for fear of possible loss of job since reporting such cases equal accepting committing illegal activities. Alternatively, the NP may rely on the statutory citation rule 413, which is a state apology law. This rule enables the NP to ask for pardon for contravening the standards rules of practice with a surety that such apology cannot be used against him or her in the court of law (Westrick & Jacob, 2016). In Texas, the statutory citation rule 413 is applicable as Tex. Civil Practice & Remedies Code Ann. §18.06. This rule is essential in enabling a better opportunity for the NP to indicate remorse and ask for forgiveness. Moreover, the NP stands a chance of legal action because this act is deemed as out of court settlement.

Strategies to Guide Decision Making

In this scenario, the NP made a mistake by failing to consider medical history of patient and prescribing controlled substance without being mindful of the potential occurrence of adverse effects. Therefore, if I was the advanced practice nurse, I would have conducted a detailed patient examination and consider the patient history to guide my action while prescribing the medication. Besides, the other strategy is to strictly rely on the Texas laws and regulations on prescription of controlled substance to guide decision making. For instance, I would work in collaboration with physician since NPs in Texas operates under restricted practice where they are required to form an agreement with supervising physician to be able to prescribe controlled substances (Lyapustina et al., 2016).

The Process of Writing Prescriptions Including Strategies to Minimize Medication Errors

Before writing prescription, it is advisable for the advanced nurse practitioner to first perform patient evaluation, diagnosis to identify the correct medical condition and the best medication for the condition. Consequently, according to Volpe, Melo, Aguiar, Pinho and Stival (2016), while providing hand written prescription, vital information such as date, patient’s name, address, and date of birth should be indicated. On the other hand, the prescriber’s name, contacts, and address should also be captured. Importantly, the medication name and associated details such as mechanisms of administration and dosages should be clearly stated.

References

Lyapustina, T., Rutkow, L., Chang, H. Y., Daubresse, M., Ramji, A. F., Faul, M., & Alexander, G. C. (2016). Effect of a “pill mill” law on opioid prescribing and utilization: the case of Texas. Drug and alcohol dependence, 159, 190-197.

Rossi, P. H., Lipsey, M. W., & Henry, G. T. (2018). Evaluation: A systematic approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Volpe, C. R. G., Melo, E. M. M. D., Aguiar, L. B. D., Pinho, D. L. M., & Stival, M. M. (2016). Risk factors for medication errors in the electronic and manual prescription. Revista latino-americana de enfermagem, 24.

Westrick, S. J., & Jacob, N. (2016). Disclosure of errors and apology: Law and ethics. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 12(2), 120-126.