Pharmacist Code of Ethics

• To become a pharmacist, a pharmacist must swear to live by a code of ethics regulated by the American Pharmacists Association. Under association guidelines, a pharmacist must respect the confidentiality and medical needs of each patient. Although they do not medically treat a patient, a pharmacist is entrusted with giving the patient the medications a doctor has advised, giving advice to a patient concerning a medication, and keeping the patient's personal information confidential.
  
  

Right to Opinion and Religion

• Although the American Pharmacists Association does not condone this action, many pharmacists have been vocal on their beliefs concerning dispensing certain medications, including contraceptives. Some pharmacists argue that they cannot give a patient contraceptives because it goes against their beliefs. Many states protect pharmacists from legal action through what are known as conscience clauses. The American Pharmacists Association will not seek disciplinary action against a pharmacist who does not give contraceptives. Only if a state explicitly states contraceptive access is required to be given, especially in cases of rape, then the pharmacist could face legal consequences.
  
  

Drug Advertising and Marketing

• Pharmaceutical companies are like any company in the sense that they are marketing a product to consumers. However, because that product affects the health of patients, regulations and ethical concerns are applied to the proper way a company can advertise or market a drug. Pro-market advocates and drug regulators agree that a drug company must give accurate information concerning their drug to consumers. That way, consumers can make the appropriate choices of what drug to purchase or what drug is dangerous for them to take. Side effects, critical medical studies concerning the drug, and risks involved with the drug must be disclosed by the drug company, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
  
  

General Ethics to the Industry

• The pharmaceutical industry is often criticized for its marketing approach to medicine. For example, in their book "Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry," Rutgers University professors Michael A. Santoro and Thomas M. Gorrie argue that pharmaceutical companies often do not use all the resources they have, including their huge profits, to develop drug research for medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS or to allocate simple medications such as aspirin or cold medicine to poorer countries cheaply or for free. The result, according to critics, is that new drugs or research are seldom produced unless a significant economic incentive exists.