Cross-Border Prescribing: An Ethical Dilemma

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn ethical framework is used to evaluate the physician role in cross-border prescribing (CBP) to the United States. A fictitious case is presented. Beauchamp and Childress' Four Principles Approach is outlined: beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Given updated college standards, physicians could ethically provide cross-border prescriptions. CBP by Canadian physicians could be considered unethical if the supply of pharmaceuticals to Canadians was negatively affected. It is not unethical for Canadian physicians to prescribe for patients in the United States. The Canadian colleges of physicians should reevaluate their practice standards to enable physicians to provide safe access to pharmaceuticals for Americans.