Can Doctors Prescribe a Prescription For Themselves?
September 30, 2009 2 CommentsAccording to the ‘General Medical Council’s’ ethical guidance:
Doctors should, wherever possible, avoid treating themselves or anyone with whom they have a close personal relationship such as family members. A doctor should be registered with their own GP outside their family. Controlled drugs can present particular problems, i.e. leading to drug misuse and misconduct.
As a rule: GP’s should not prescribe a controlled drug for themselves or someone close to them unless:
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No other person with the legal right to prescribe is available to assess the patient’s clinical condition and to prescribe without a delay which would put the patient’s life or health at risk, or cause the patient unacceptable pain, and . .
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That treatment is immediately necessary to:
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Save a life
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Avoid serious deterioration in the patient’s health
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Alleviate otherwise uncontrollable pain.
can a physician or doctor of medicine prescribe medicine for dogs or cats,
Thank you for your question.
As far as I am aware –
Human medical doctors cannot prescribe drugs for animals, nor can a veterinarian prescribe for humans.
But only under special circumstances as follows:
If the doctor is a principal investigator he or she may obtain scheduled pharmaceuticals for use on animals in research or teaching only if the acquisition, storage, and use has been prescribed in an approved protocol. Controlled substances can only be used if the PI has a DEA registration. Under a ‘Univeristy Controlled Substance Policy’.