A practical approach toward teaching ethics to community pharmacists

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Bioethics
• Professional Ethics

Background:

• Pharmacists encounter frequent ethical dilemmas in daily practice.
• Limited formal training in ethical decision-making exists in undergraduate pharmacy curricula.
• This necessitates enhanced competencies for managing ethical conflicts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a workshop-based methodological approach for managing ethical dilemmas.
• To assess the effectiveness of this approach for community pharmacists in Malaysia.

Main Methods:

• A workshop was conducted for community pharmacists in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
• Participants received training on a methodological approach to ethical dilemmas, followed by case studies and discussions.
• Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires evaluated knowledge and perceived effectiveness.

Main Results:

• 37 pharmacists attended; most reported no prior formal ethics training and relied on personal methods.
• Common ethical issues included medication generic substitution.
• Over 75% agreed the workshop content was relevant and usable in their professional roles.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated module for ethical decision-making should be integrated into pharmacy education in Malaysia.
• This module can enhance professional judgment and patient care (beneficence).
• The training approach is adaptable for international use.