Professional Ethics & Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real APHA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Ethics & Standards flashcards as text
A patient asks a pharmacist to sign a vaccine exemption form based on philosophical grounds. The pharmacist does not medically support the exemption. What should the pharmacist do?
Answer: Refuse to sign and explain that signing would misrepresent a medical opinion
Signing a document that misrepresents a medical opinion violates the ethical principle of veracity and could constitute professional misconduct.
Which element is NOT required for a legally and ethically valid informed consent for vaccine administration?
Answer: A notarized signature on a legal document
Informed consent requires disclosure, voluntariness, and decision-making capacity, but does not require notarization; written consent forms are sufficient.
A pharmacist immunizer operates in a state without a standing order but administers vaccines using a protocol from another state. This scenario raises concerns about:
Answer: Scope of practice and adherence to state-specific legal requirements
Pharmacists must operate under valid, state-specific standing orders or prescriptions; using protocols from another state may exceed legal scope of practice.
When documenting a vaccine administration, which information is ethically and legally required to be recorded?
Answer: Vaccine name, lot number, expiration date, injection site, and date administered
Comprehensive vaccine documentation including lot number, expiration date, site, and date is required by law and ethical standards to ensure traceability and patient safety.
Which behavior by a pharmacist immunizer best exemplifies the ethical duty of fidelity?
Answer: Following through on commitments to patients, such as sending immunization reminder calls
Fidelity refers to keeping promises and fulfilling commitments; following through on patient communication commitments exemplifies this duty.
A vaccine is found to have been stored at an improper temperature and may be ineffective. What is the pharmacist's primary ethical obligation?
Answer: Discard the compromised vaccine and notify patients who may have received it
Non-maleficence requires that compromised vaccines never be administered; affected patients must be notified so re-immunization can be arranged.
The principle of 'double effect' in pharmacy ethics is most relevant when:
Answer: An action intended to benefit a patient may also carry a risk of harm
The principle of double effect addresses situations where a medically beneficial action, such as vaccination, may carry an inherent risk of side effects.