PMDC Code of Ethics
PMDC Code of Ethics
PMDC Code of Ethics
CODE OF ETHICS
OF PRACTICE FOR
1. (1) These regulations may be called the Code of Ethics .of Practice for medical and dental, Regulations.
GENERAL
(a) , not permit motives of profit to influence the free and independentexer-
cise of professional judgment on behalf of patients;
(c) deal.honestiy with patients and colleagues and strive to expose ihose
physicians deficient in character or competence or who engage in
fraud or deceplion; . .. .. .
(e) act only. in the patient's. interest when providing medical care which ..
might have the effect of weakening the physical and mental condition
of the patient; .
)tr'., (a) always bear in mind the obligation of preserving human life;
(b) owe his patients complete loyalty and all the resources of his science;
(c) summon another physician who has the necessar)tability when ever
an examination or treatment is beyond the former physician's
capacity;
(2) No medical or dental practitioner shall display suffixing to his name those
degrees or diplomas which have not been -registered by the Council. A medical-or
dental practitioner shall not be considered a specialist unless an -additional quali-
fication of that specialty has been registered by the Council against his name.
9. Rational use of drugs.- (1) Every Medical or dental practitioner shall adopt
practice with good and rational practices to prescribe drugs.
(a) be free to choose whom to serve, with whom to associate and lay
down the timings and place of professional service for the patients;
(b) not be bound to treat each and every'person asking his services, but
he shall not only be ever ready to respond to the calls of the sick and
the injured, if in his opinion the situation Warrants it as such, but shall
be mindful of the high character of his mission and the responsibility
he discharges in the course of his professional duties;
(c) in his treatment, never forget that the health and the lives of those
entrusted to his care depend on his skill and attention; and
(d) if not available due to any reaSOAand the patient requires continuous
monitoring or care, then the Medical or dental practitioner shall
arrange for another Medical or dental practitioner of sufficient
proficiency as an alternate and inform the patient.
(3) For. a medical or dental practitioner to advise a patient to. seek service of
another medical or dental practitioner is acceptable, however, in case of
emergency, the medical or dental practitioner must treat the patient firs\.
(4) No medical or dental practitioner shall normally refuse treatment toa patient,
however for good reason if the medical or dental practitioner thinks it would
not be appropriate to.provide hisprofessional.services toa particular patient or
when a patient is suffering from an ailment which is not within the range of
experience of the treating medical or dental practitioner, the medical or dental
practitioner may refuse treatment and refer the patient to another medical or
dental practitioner.
PART III
(2) The goal of teaching medical ethics shall be to improve the quality of patient
care by enhancing professional performance through a consideration of the.
clinician's values, beliefs, knowledge of ethical and legal construct, ability to
recognize and analyze ethical problems and interpersonal and communication
skills and consideration of the patient, whereby students shall be able to identify,
analyze and attempt to resolve common ethical problems of medical and clinicaT .
nature.
(3) All medical and dental colleges running MBBS and BOS courses, College
of Physician and Surgeons of Pakistan and universities running the postgraduate
medical courses in Pakistan may incorporaterrieaical ethics into their curriculum.
(4) Relevant books and journals shall be made available in the central and
departmental libraries of the medical institutions, and publication of papers on
issue related to medical ethics.
(5) All medical or dental practitioners may develop strategies for dissemina-
tion of information about ethics and ethical issues to their colleagues and
students, public and patients; specifically when teaching medical and dental
students.
PART IV
EXPECTATiONS
(b) uphold the ethical principles of mepical practice that is to say autonomy,.
beneficence, non-nialeficience, and justice;
(h) promote the education of the public on (a) health issues and (b) their.
rights to quality care;
PART V
12. Rights of the Patient- (1) To share with physicians the responsibility for their
own health care, the patient-
(a) has right to receive information from physicians and to discuss the
benefits, risks, costs of appropriate treatment, alternatives and optimal
course of action;
(b) is entitled to obtain copies or summaries of their medical records, to
have their questions answered and to .receive independent additional
professional opinions;
(c) has the tight to make decisions regarding the health care that is
recommended by his physician and as such thepatients(or his next
of kin) may accept or refuse any recommended medical treatment in
writing;
(d) has the right to courtesy, respect, dignity, timely responsiveness to his
health needs, and respect of his gender and sanctity;
.) PART VI
(d) nat paying .or receiving any fee .or any ather consideratian salely ta
procure the referral .of a patient .orfor prescribing .orreferring a patient
ta any saurce;
.'i
and the medical practitianer may cansider the request and shall ensure that
sanctity .of the female patient is preserved during pracedures and cansultatian
and there is na unnecessary expasure.
(2) A medical .or dental practitianer shall use great cautian in divulging
discaveries .or new techniques .ortreatment through nan-prafessianal channels.
(3) A medical or dental practitioner shall not allow his name to be used by any
other person or let any other person sit in his place of practice if that person is not
a registered medical or dental practitioner. . .
(4) A physician shall owe his patients all the resources of his science. Whenever
an examination or treatment is beyond the physician's capacity he shall consult
another physician who has the necessary ability.
19. Prisoners.- Prisoners who are ill must be. treated in the same manner as
other sick people. However, doctors have a right to take appropriate precautions
if they think there is a possibility of physical violence by the patient. Where a
suspect refuses consent to a medical examination, the doctor unless directed to
the contrary by a court of law, shall refuse to mak~ any statement based on his
observation of the suspect other than to advise the police whether or not the
suspect appears torequireimmediatelfeatment or removal to hospital. This does
not of course, preclude the doCtor from. making a statement in court based on
such observation in circumstances where the accused: later gives his consent to
disclosure.
20. Permission' of. patient before examination.- A doctor shall normally tC\ke
permission from. a patient before making a physical examination. In case of
minors, the child's guardian shall be present or give permission for the eXamina- .
tion. For' any intimate examination the patient, irrespective of age, patient is
entitled to ask for an attendant to be present. Such requests shall be acceded to
whenever possible.
(2) The medical or dental practitioner shall bear in mind the obligation of
preserving life and will not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender, class,
race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexLJaL9rientation, disability, health
conditions, marital discord, domestic or pare"rital status, criminal record, or any
other applicable bias as proscribed by law, and ensure that personal beliefs do
not prejudice patient care.
(3) The Medical or dental practitioner shall not exploit persons over whom they
have direct or indirect supervisory, evaluative, management or other authority,
such as students and patients, supervisees, employees or research participants,
whether for personal, professional or economic reasons.
(d) give patients (and provided patient agrees, family members) informa-
tion (about their illness) in a way that they can understand;
(e). respect the rights of patients to 'be involved fully in decisions about
their care;
(f) ensure that conflict of interest does not prevent them from performing
their professional work in an unbiased manner; and
(a) only undertake tasks for which they are qualified allowed by virtue of
education, training or experience and know their limitations;
(e) . acquire the knowledge and skills to provide proper training and
supervision to their students so that such persons perform services
responsibly, competently and ethically; and will be honest. and
objective in the assessment and certification of performance of students
supervised;
(f). monitor and maintain an awareness of the quality of the care provided
. by himself through a review of carefully recorded data and respond
constructively to assessments by self and peers which identify need for
further training or education;
(g) recognise the realistic efficacy of Investigation and medication and use
technology and medicine only where appropriate; and
27. Confidentiality.- The physician has a right to and shall withhold disclosure
of information received in a confidential context, whether this is from a patient or
as a result of being involved in the management of the patient, or review of a
paper, except in the following specific circumstances where he may carefully and
selectively disclose information where health, safety and life of other individual
may be involved, namely:-
(a) The medical or dental practitioner cannot seek to gain from information
. received in a confidential context (such as a paper sent for review) until
t~at information is publicly available;
(c) The professional medical record ofa patient shallilot be handed over
to any person without the consent of:lhepalientor his/her legal
representative. No one. has a right to demand information from th.e
doctor about his patient, save when the notification is required under a
statutory or legal obligation and when in doubt, the medical or dental
practitioner or a dentist may consult a legal advisor;
29. Dealing with conflict of interest.- (1) A medical or dental practitioner must
act in patient's best interests when making referrals and providing or arranging
treatment or care and no inducement, gift or hospitality which may affect or be
seen to affect judgment may be accepted and nor shall such inducements offered
to colleagues.
(4) . Before taking part in discussions about buying goods or services; any
.. relevantfinancial or commercial interest which the medical or dental practitioner
or the medical. or dental practitioner's family might have in the purchases, must be
declared.
30. Truth telling.- In the practice of medicine, it is obvious that truth telling
involves the provision of information not simply to enable patients to make
informed choices about health care and other aspects of their lives but also. to
inform them about their situation. Patients may have an interest in medical
information regardless of whether that information is required to make a decision.
about medical treatment.
The physicians shall strive to create a true impression in the mind of the
patient which requires that information be presented in such a way that it can be;...
understood and applied. Patients shall be told the truth because of the respect
due to them as persons as patients have a right to be told important. infOrmation
that physicians have about them.
(2) Published information about services must not put pressure on peopie to
use a service, for example by arousing ill-founded fear for their future health.
Similarly, services must not be advertised by visiting or telephoning prospective
patients, either in person or through a deputy
32. Certificates, reports and other documents~- When medical or dental prac-
titioners are requested for certificates, medical reports birth or death certificates
and any othe(documents, such documents shall be factualto the best of their
. knowledge .. Due care shall be taken in regard to stating the date on which the
patient has been examined etc.
35. Medical and dental students., it is obvious that medical and dental
students must identify themselves by name and must obtainper)1lission from
patients before examining them. It is advisable to limit the number of students
. examining anyone patient.
38. Leader of the medical or dental team.- The Medical or dental practitioner
shall take his responsibilities as leader of the medical or dental team seriously as
all responsibility of the care of the patient rests on him and nolthe Paramedical
staff. The medical or dental practitioner shall not accept any paramedical staff to
be in his team if he is not comfortable with him and this opinion shall be binding
on the employer.
PART VII
39. Fees and other charges.-(1) The fee charged from the patientforthe treat-
ment or consultation shall be as decided by the medical or dental' practitioner. The
treatment shall commence if the fee is acceptable to the patient, medical. or den- .
tal practitioner and the hospital or clinic. if there is any disagreement the patient
may seek care elsewhere. For poor or non-affording patients, the medical or den-
tal practitioner may make a concession if he so desires, However, the medical or
dental practitioner is bound to provide first 'aid to .the patient in emergency and
only then refer him. . ,
(2) The medical or dental practitioner shall ensure that the fee is commensurate
with his qualification and level of services offered and the hour at which his time
Was spent in providing the services.
(3) A Medical or dental practitioner shall announce his fees before' rendering.
service and not after the operation or treatment is under way. Remuneration ..
received for such services shall be in the form of currency only arid its amount
specifically announced to the patient at the time the service is rendered.'
(4) The f~e shall riot be in the form of ajavour of any kind.
(6) A medical or dental practitioner shall clearly display his fees and other
. charges in his chamber and/or the hospitals he is visiting.' .
(8) A medical or dental practitioner shall write or stamp his name anddesigna-
tion in full along with registration number in his prescription letter head
40. Rebates and Commission.- A medical or dental practitioner shall not give,
solicit, or receive nor shall he offer to give solicit or receive any gift; gratuity,
commission or bonus in consideration of or return for the referr,ing, recommend-
ing or procuring of any patient for medical, surgical or other treatment.
l
41. Communication with Patients.- To address many complaints to the
Council refered due to lack of communication, or discourtesy, on the part of the
doctor, where' differences have arisen between the doctor and the patient or the
patients relatives there is much to be gained and rarely anything to be lost by the
. expression of regret by the doctor and feeling that any such expression would
amount to an admission of liability may have inhibited doctors.
42. Maintenance of medical records.- Every medical or. dental practitioner
shall ensure proper documentation of hfs professional services along with
necessary reports results maintained by an easily discern able scientific method.
PART VIII
43. Research Ethics and Consent.- (1) .When conducting medical research
involving human subjects, investigators shall remember their: obligations with
respect to individual patients. Ethical conduct of research requires that a human.
subject must participate willingly, having been adequately informed about the
research and given consent that there is a f.avourable. balarice between the
potential benefit and harm of participation; and that protecti9n of vulnerable.
people is ensured. The validity of findings must address questions of sufficient
importance to justify any risks to participants. In any clinical triftl there must be
genuine uncertainty as to which treatment arm offers the mo.st benefit, and
placebo controls shall notbe used if equally effective standard therapies exist.
When doubt exists, researchers shall consult the existing literature and seek the
. advice of experts in research ethics~
(2) All research projects involving human subjects, whether ;as individuals or
communities, or the use of fetal material, embryos and, tissUes from the recently
. dead, shall be reviewed and approved by an. Ethical ReviilwCommittee of the
institution before the study begins .
(4 )In siiuations where study subjects are too young or too incapacitated, as
well as the mentally ill or unconscious person, consent to take part in nisearch
may be unobtainable. Research is best avoided unless it can be shown to be
relevant and potentially beneficial to the patieflt-afldthere is no objection from
parents or relatives.
(6) The right of research subjects to safeguard their integrity must always be
respected. Every precaution shall be taken to respect the privacy of the subject,
and the confidentiality of the patient's information.
(7) Research results must always preserve patient anonymity unless permis-
sion has been given by the patient to use his or her name.
(8) Volunteers and patients may be paid for inconvenience arid time spent,but
such payment shall not be so large as to be an'inducement.
PART IX
,-
\ 47. End-of-life
MISCELLANEOUS
action;
(c) Any form of sexual advance, to a patient or colleague or coworker.
with whom there exists a professional relationship'! is professional
misconduct. A registered medical medical or dental practitioner or
dentist's professional position must neverbe used to pursuea relation-
ship of an emotional or sexual nature witha patient, the patient's
spouse or a nearrelative.ofa patienLSexual contai;t or intent there
of with patient or patient's spouses, partners, paren.~s,guardians, or
otherindividualsinvolved in the care of thEipatiennS Hable to lead to.
exclusion from the Register; A registered medical or dental practitiOn-
me t
er ordentist will ensure that they do not engage in s8.xualharass n
of any person, including. employees; patierits,st0dents, research
assistants andsupervisees; The following constitute jharassment that.
isto say single, multiple or persistent acts of abusive. v~rballanguage
or gestures, demeaning speech. insult in front of, juniors, sexual
innuendoes, sexual solicitatiori, physical advance, throwing objects,
and other threatening unacceptable gestures and these shall render a
medical or dental practitioner liable for disciplinary actionand cancel~-
lation of registration. The administration shall also be held responsible
for any such untoward event. Physieiansshall not use language that
will interfere with the work of others;. .
Association; and
(ii) paying or receiving any fee or any other consideration 'solely to
procure the referral of a patient or for prescribing or referring a .
patient to any source. -
I.
under Council rules. If the medical or dental.practitioner is found to be guilty of
committing professional misconduct, the Council may award punishment under
the rules or as the case may be, including removal altogether or for a specified
period, from the Register of the name of the delinquent registered medical or
dental practitioner. Removal of'name from the Register shall be widely publicized
in local press including conveying to different medical associations or societies or
I
bodies internationally or nationally.
PART XI
(4) Registered medical or dental practitioners may not enter into a written or
verbal agreement of any kind, with any manufacturer or distributor of drugs or
medical equipment, for personal gain of any kind whatsoever other than
employment.
so.
(2) Registered medical or dental practitioners should accept free drug samples
for patient use only and noUor th~ personal gain or re"sale.
(3) Registered medical or dental practitioners should also ensure that the pri-
mary purpose of any educational meeting is the enhancement of medical
knowledge and they should participate in these events with the objective of gain-
ing current, accurate and balanced medical education in an ethical and profes-
sional manner.
(4) In organizing an educational meeting, congress or symposium the organiz~-
ing medical or dental practitioners should ensure that a minimum of eighty per-
cent of the time allocated for such meeting, congress or symposium is spent on
core educational activities and only a maximum of twenty percent of the total time
is devoted to recreational _activities which are in accordance with the dignity of-
the medical profession. - -
(a) the trip is primarily for an academic purpose and preferably the
selected medical or dental practitioner is_presenting a paper in the
course of the trip or participating in the proceedings in a similarly
I
"
(b)
meaningful manner;_
(d) the medical or _dental practitioner shall disclose the purpose and
invitation
.. .
to the institute and
".
to. the Council.
(3) A registered medical or dental practitioner shall not promote a drug or med-
ical equipment or a manufacturer or distributor in the course of scientific piesen-
tations in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to by.-
(a) stating the name of the drug or equipment brand in the slides; or -
(c) All medical or dental practitioners shall abide the drug laws.
(4) Any registered medical or dental practitioner presenting a paper at a con-
ference, seminar or symposium shall issue or announce a disclaimer in respect
of any personal financial rewards from interest in or association of any kind with
the manufacturer or distributor sponsoring the conference, seminar or sympo-
sium.
(4) Every registered medical or (jental practitioner must ensure that the funding
party does not influence the research agenda, methodology employed, participant
selection, data analysis or publicatioriof findings. All researc.h prbposalsrnust be
assessed and approved prior to initiation by the ethical review committee
(ERG) of the relevant institution.
56. Decisions regarding pharmaceutical industry and its interaction with the
medical or dental practitioners and the funding by the pharma-industry, various
guidelines and decisions including those for continuous medical education events
as developed by the National Bio Ethics Committee shall also apply.
Part- XII
REPEAL
57. Repeal.-The Code of Ethics .made by the Council in its 98tb meeting at
Karachi on 24th and 25th August 2002 and any regulation in these matters made
earlier are hereby repealed.
[No.
Registrar
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council
Annexure I
DECLARATION
(see regulation 2)
(b) I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due;
(e). I will respect the secrets which are confided in me, even after the
patient has died;
(f) 'I will maintain by all the means inmy power, the honour and the noble ,',
traditions of the medical profession;' . ' .
.. '
" '
(g) My colleagues will be like my sisters and brothers and I will pay due
respect and honour to them. '
(i) I will protecthumanlife in all stages and under all circumstances, doing
my utmost to rescue it from death, malady, pain and anxiety. To be,all
the way, an instrument of Allah's mercy, extending medical care to near
and far, virtuoUS and sinner and friend and enemy;
Signature ,date .
Name " .
Council's Registration number .
e'mail ' .
Address Current. .
Permanent: , .
Contact number Mobile land line .
Annexure 1\
A conflict of interest
(see regulation28):
Annexure III
Informed Consent
,
indicates a willingness to undergo a certain procedure or treatment on him or
his behaviour. For example, consent for venipuncture is implied by the action of
,rolling up one's sleeve and presenting one's arm. Fqr treatments that entail risk or
involve more than mild discomfort, it is expected"that the physician will obtain
explicit rather than implied consent. Signed consent forms documentbut cannot
replace the consent process. There are no. fixed rules as to when a signed
consent form is required. Some hospitals require that a consent form b.e signed
by the patient for surgical procedures but not for certain equally risky interven-
tions. If a signed consent form is not required, and the treatment carries risk,
clinicians shall seriously consider writing a note in the patient's chart to document
that the consent process has occurred. When taking consent ttJephysician shall
consider issues of adequate disclosure, the patients capacity, and the degree of
voluntariness. In the context of patient consent, "disclosure" refers to the
, provision of relevant information by the clinician and its comprehension by the
patient. Disclosure shall inform the patient adequately about the treatment and its
expected effects, relevant alternative options and their benefits and risks, and the
consequences of declining or delaying treatment and how the proposed treatment
(and other options) might affect the patient's ,employment, finances, family life and
(3) An informed -consent can be said to have been giVen based upon a Clear
appreciation .and understanding of the facts, implications, and future'conse-'
quences of .an action. In order to give informed consent,fu!lilUhelegal standard
of informed consent with a completed, dated and signed consent form. True
informed consent requires a number of elements:
(c) that the patient understand the material presented by the medical and
dental practitioner;
(d) that the patient acts voluntarily (Without Goercion or under duress) and
that the patient agree to the plan presented.
(4) Special circumstances affecting the consent process are listed below:-
(d) For Mentally Handicapped patients the doctor shall attempt to obtain
consent but, deQending on the degree of handicap, may have to .
consult with the patient's parents or guardians, and, in particularly
difficult cases to obtain a second opinion. .
. Annexure V
.Genetics in medicines
(see regulation48)
(No F.16-5/2010-MER)