Ethics and Ethical Standards for Pharmacists
Course Description
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Pharmacists (USA) is a CPD course designed to help pharmacists and pharmacy technicians understand, apply, and demonstrate ethical practice in line with U.S. regulatory expectations.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), state boards of pharmacy, and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Code of Ethics emphasise that ethical practice is central to protecting patient safety, sustaining trust, and maintaining licensure. Pharmacists face unique ethical challenges, including dispensing errors, conflicts of interest, confidentiality of patient information, and balancing professional judgment with commercial pressures.
This course explores the four ethical principles — autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice — as applied in pharmacy, alongside probity, accountability, informed consent, confidentiality, and digital professionalism. Learners will study regulator expectations, review case examples, and develop practical strategies to embed ethics into daily pharmacy practice and disciplinary processes.
Course Content
Course Objectives
Course Objectives
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Section 1: Introduction — Why Ethics Matters in Pharmacy Practice
1.1 The Role of Ethics in Pharmacy
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1.2 Why Regulators Prioritise Ethics
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1.3 Ethics and Professional Identity in Pharmacy
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1.4 Consequences of Ethical Lapses
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1.5 Why Ethics Matters Now More Than Ever
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1.6 Reflective Quiz
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Section 2: Core Ethical Principles — Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Justice
2.1 Autonomy — Respecting Patient Choice
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2.2 Beneficence — Acting in the Patient’s Best Interest
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2.3 Non-Maleficence — “Do No Harm”
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2.4 Justice — Fairness and Equity in Care
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2.5 Balancing Principles in Pharmacy Practice
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2.6 Reflective Quiz
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Section 3: APhA Code of Ethics and NABP Standards — Key Expectations
3.1 APhA Code of Ethics — Core Principles
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3.2 NABP Standards and State Board Enforcement
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3.3 Shared Ethical Expectations — APhA and NABP
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3.4 State Boards and the Use of Ethical Codes
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3.5 Reflective Quiz
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Section 4: Common Ethical Dilemmas in Pharmacy Practice
4.1 Dispensing Errors and Accountability
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4.2 Opioid Prescribing and the Risk of Diversion
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4.3 Confidentiality vs Public Safety
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4.4 Conflicts of Interest
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4.5 Conscientious Objection vs Patient Rights
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4.6 End-of-Life and Palliative Care
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4.7 Digital Professionalism and Social Media
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4.8 Reflective Quiz
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Section 5: Confidentiality, Digital Professionalism, and HIPAA Compliance
5.1 The Ethical Duty of Confidentiality
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5.2 HIPAA Compliance in Pharmacy Practice
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5.3 Confidentiality in the Digital Era
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5.4 Digital Professionalism and Social Media
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5.5 Telepharmacy and Virtual Care
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5.6 Consequences of Breaching Confidentiality
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5.7 Reflective Quiz
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Section 6: Probity, Honesty, and Accountability in Pharmacy
6.1 Probity as a Core Ethical Duty
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6.2 Honesty in Documentation and Records
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6.3 Financial Integrity and Billing Practices
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6.4 Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
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6.5 Accountability in Daily Practice
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6.6 Consequences of Dishonesty and Lack of Probity
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6.7 Building a Culture of Probity and Accountability
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6.8 Reflective Quiz
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Section 7: Weak vs Strong Ethical Responses — Case Comparisons
7.1 Dispensing Error
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7.2 Opioid Dispensing Concern
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7.3 Breach of Confidentiality
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7.4 Conflict of Interest
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7.5 Disrespectful Communication
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7.6 Key Lessons Across Cases
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7.7 Reflective Quiz
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Section 8: Demonstrating Ethics in Disciplinary and Remediation Processes
8.1 Why Ethical Demonstration Matters
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8.2 How Boards Assess Ethical Behaviour
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