THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES CONCERNING DIAGNOSING AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS BY PHARMACISTS IN NIGERIA
THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES CONCERNING DIAGNOSING AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS BY PHARMACISTS IN NIGERIA

Summary/Abstract: Health is wealth; in this regard, it suffices to state that, legally and ethically, a trained medical doctor must prescribe and treat an individual that is diagnosed with any illness. However, in Nigeria, the low standard of living has resulted in most individuals who cannot afford hospital bills to patronize pharmacists for diagnosing and treatment of various degrees of illness. Concerning this medical abnormality, this study employs a hybrid method of research to ascertain the causes and legal regulation concerning pharmacists diagnosing and treating a patient in Nigeria. Concerning the non-doctrinal, the study used online questionnaires sent to 304 respondents residing within Nigeria. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to analyze the data generated. The study found that there are incidences of pharmacists diagnosing and administering treatment to a patient in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study also found that it is legally and ethically wrong for a pharmacist to diagnose and administer treatment to a patient. The study, therefore, concluded and recommended that there is a need to set the law and medical ethics in motion in curtailing the incidence of pharmacists who are not trained medical doctors to diagnose and administer treatment to a patient in Nigeria.

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