Chapter One
The Basis of Ethics
JON MERRILLS
Parkdale House, Nottingham, UK
Let's start by getting some terms clear:
Ethics is the systematic study of what is right and good with respect to
conduct and character.
There are several other definitions and explanations of pharmaceutical
ethics which can be used:
The beliefs and behaviours to which members of the profession subscribe.
A critical evaluation of assumptions and arguments.
A discussion about what ought to be done or ought not to be done-a
discussion about normative behaviour in the context of issues raised in
this book.
Ethics is concerned not only with making appropriate decisions about
what we ought to do, but also with justifying those decisions.
An ethical dilemma exists where the answer to a particular situation is
not clear, or where there is a choice of answers. The fact that there may be
more than one solution to a problem is sometimes difficult for scientists to
deal with. Scientists have been taught the scienti ... read full excerpt from Pharmaceutical Ethics ebook
