There are numerous state and federal laws designed to protect against misuse and diversion of prescription drugs that apply to patients' behavior, physicians' prescribing practices, and dispensing.
Michael Hawking, MD, MSc, Farr A. Curlin, MD, and John D. Yoon, MD
Applying a virtue ethics approach—and especially the virtues of courage and compassion—enables clinicians to care appropriately for “difficult” patients.
AMA J Ethics. 2017;19(4):357-363. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.4.medu2-1704.
Should physicians engage beliefs and practices that do not agree with their medical judgment as a means to securing patient adherence to recommended treatment?