Ethics & Law · single question
A dentist denies a patient's request for a hydrocodone prescription despite the patient reporting pain. Which ethical principle is MOST violated?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Autonomy
- A. Correct per recall. Patient AUTONOMY is the right of the patient to make informed decisions about their own care. Denying a patient's explicit request (even for opioids) can be framed as overriding patient autonomy by substituting the dentist's judgment for the patient's own health decision.
- B. Incorrect. Veracity is honesty/truthfulness — not the primary principle at stake in a prescription denial.
- C. Incorrect. Beneficence (doing good) is a secondary consideration — the dentist may believe withholding is in the patient's best interest.
- D. Incorrect. Non-maleficence (do no harm) would be violated if the dentist GAVE the opioid inappropriately and caused harm, not by withholding it.