The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7405 p721-722
17 June 2006

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Paternalism to professional judgement — the history of the code of ethics

This week, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society starts its consultation on proposals for a new code of ethics. Ruth Rodgers and Dai John consider the history and development of ethics within the profession, including how it came to have a code of ethics in the first place

SUMMARY

Codes of ethics concerning the practice of pharmacy have existed throughout its history. Indeed The Pharmaceutical Journal in 1841 carried a translation of a 13th century French code of ethics. One of the early codes related to the practice of pharmacy in Britain in the 16th century and is attributed to the apothecary William Bullein, allegedly a cousin of Anne Boleyn.

Despite an early intent to draw up a code of ethics as a means of building a corporate rather than an individual reputation for the profession, the Pharmaceutical Society was not to adopt a code of ethics until nearly 100 years after its foundation. Why this delay and what had been happening in relation to the ethics of professional practice during that period?

When the Society was founded there was little organisation within the profession and, unlike in other European countries, no formal education of its practitioners. This was set to change by the activities of the founder members in 1841 and by the passing of the Pharmacy Act 1852. A priority for the Society during its infancy was the need to obtain legislation safeguarding the pharmacist’s role in the supply and sale of medicines from challenges from others.

Members of the newly founded Society lived in the early Victorian era, which witnessed active reform of existing standards in many areas of life. Legislation was being passed to control the practice of medicine and other areas of public health. The Church’s control continued but science and technology were altering the way people lived.