Whether a physician fancies herself a member of the Green Party or the Tea Party, he or she must obey our government’s rules in her advocacy for that cause and be extremely diligent in those increasingly rare instances when she feels herself compelled not to do so.
It is unconstitutional--and unethical--for physicians to participate in evidence-gathering against pregnant women suspected of being addicted to illegal substances without informing them of their constitutional rights or gaining their informed consent.
Richard A. Yoast, MA, PhD, William J. Filstead, PhD, Bonnie B. Wilford, MS, Susan Hayashi, PhD, Jennifer Reenan, MD, and Jorie Epstein
Curriculum changes can help physicians in training diagnose and treat substance abuse, but there are significant barriers to implementing such changes.
A commentary about the need for a physician to communicate in a manner that will encourage honest patient disclosure and motivate behavior change, where necessary.
Physicians need to exhaust every possible alternative to bring about political changes before resorting to breaking the law as an act of civil disobedience.