The Covert Administration of Medications: Legal and Ethical Complexities for Health Care Professionals

摘要

The practice of covertly administrating medications to patients likely occurs in hospitals, long term care residents and within the family home. 1 Concealing medications in the patient's food and drink is a practice that should be viewed from both a legal and ethical lens. In this paper, I look at the practice of covertly administering medications to patients without their consent in a legal framework, looking at the legal rules around the right of patients to consent to and refuse medical treatment. Additionally, I extend this discussion to the professional duties and obligations of health care professionals as it relates to the decision-making process of whether the health care professional engages or does not engage in the covert administration of medications. In doing so, I begin the analysis from a Canadian perspective, but draw upon relevant legislation, guidelines and polices from other countries as they help to elucidate and identify different considerations.