Legal challenges in medical ethics

Illnesses and their treatment, pharmacy and pharmacology, medical equipment, hygiene and health related topics, health economics, preventative measures, lab equipment and supplies, human resource service delivery models, education and training of health care professional, and associated areas of law are collectively referred to as the health care system. At times it is even difficult to separate health care from social injuries and civil conditions, since these can pose direct or indirect threats to individuals’ health. As health policy makers, managers and professionals demand and encourage the observance of ethical considerations in providing health care, neglect of the legal aspect of the health care system can bring about unethical phenomena that necessitate legal measures. The present paper aimed to determine whether the general traditional legal classifications, that is, jurisdiction and sovereignty, apply to the health care system, and if so, which of the two it falls under. What further highlights the significance of answers to such questions is the fact that they are closely connected to regulations of the health care system. It could well be that some companies in the health industry have a negative effect on the ethical conduct of physicians and other health care professionals, as due to their commercial nature and structure, these companies are dominated by rules of business, and this exerts limitations on their observance of ethical considerations.This study investigated a number of such seemingly legitimate situations and the problems associated with them, hoping to eliminate legal conflicts and promote ethics in the process of providing health care in the society.