Developing a conceptual framework for the practical ethics of prescribing in medical school curricula

Prescribing medications has traditionally been conceptualised as a technical process and skill in medical education, failing to acknowledge broader social, political, and economic dimensions. Consequently it's ethical component is often overlooked. Existing educational approaches in medicine have predominantly covered ethics in abstract terms, which fail to equip students with an understanding of the complexity of ethical decision-making in real-world medical practice. This essay seeks to address this gap by proposing a conceptual framework to understand the practical ethics of prescribing in terms of its broader determinants. The authors emphasise the contextual factors that determine how ethical prescribing, and its coverage in medical curricula, can be defined. They propose that the framework outlined in this article can be the basis for cross-cultural dialogue. It can help tailor educational approaches and support future physicians in understanding and navigating the complex landscape that shapes their prescribing decisions.