Discrimination in Prescribing Practice

Medical professionals with prescribing authority must take into consideration a large number [Page 476]of factors when deciding whether to prescribe one or more drugs for a patient, and if they decide to prescribe, which drugs would be most appropriate. These factors can include the nature of the patient’s disorder and whether or not any other disorders are present; the possible side effects that could be produced by the medication; the potential for adverse reactions in the patient; and the possibility of the prescribed medication interacting in harmful ways with other medications the patient is currently taking. In addition to these factors, in some cases prescribing authorities will have an element of discretion over whether and what to prescribe. This tends to be the case when ...