Towards a philosophy of risk

Abstract

A poster presentation regarding pharmaceutical ethics and pharmacists’ decision making. Introduction: Pharmacists constantly encounter situations which lead to a dilemma regarding the best possible outcome for the patient. When faced with these situations, pharmacists often ask themselves “What should I do?” There is no perfect answer to this question, but considering in detail the reasoning used within various scenarios would enable one to decide which ethical theory to adopt to guide decisions in difficult situations. Pharmacists, like other healthcare professionals, face ethical problems sometime during their career and should be knowledgeable on how to act in concordance with their professional code of conduct. Aims: This research aims to propose different approaches that pharmacists can take prior to deciding what action they are going to take based on philosophical principles and theories and the risk associated with taking that decision.