Pharmacist must handle prescriptions carefully while following ethical principles.
- Confidentiality: Patient’s prescription and medical information must remain private.
- Accuracy and Responsibility: Verify the prescription carefully to avoid errors in dosage, drug interactions, or contraindications.
- Non-Maleficence: Ensure that dispensing the medication does not harm the patient.
- Beneficence: Provide guidance and counseling to ensure the patient benefits from the medication.
- Autonomy and Respect: Respect the patient’s decisions, inform them clearly, and allow informed choices.
- Legality and Professionalism: Never dispense prescription-only medications without a valid prescription and follow the law and professional guidelines at all times.
- Integrity: Avoid conflicts of interest, such as promoting unnecessary medicines for profit.
A pharmacist receives prescriptions via paper, electronic, fax, or verbal methods, but must always verify and ensure patient safety, maintain confidentiality, and follow ethical and legal standards.