Activity ID
10735Expires
September 19, 2026Format Type
Journal-basedCME Credit
1Fee
$30CME Provider: AMA Journal of Ethics
Description of CME Course
Pharmaceuticals are beginning to receive attention as a source of pollution in aquatic environments. Yet the impact of physician prescription patterns on water resources is not often discussed in clinical decision making. Here, we comment on a case in which empiric antibiotic treatment might benefit a patient while simultaneously being detrimental to the aquatic environment. We first highlight the potential harm caused by this prescription from its production to its disposal. We then suggest that Van Rensselaer Potter’s original conceptualization of bioethics can be used to balance clinicians’ obligations to protect individual, public, and environmental health.
Disclaimers
1. This activity is accredited by the American Medical Association.
2. This activity is free to AMA members.
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Commercial Support?
NoNOTE: If a Member Board has not deemed this activity for MOC approval as an accredited CME activity, this activity may count toward an ABMS Member Board’s general CME requirement. Please refer directly to your Member Board’s MOC Part II Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment Program Requirements.
Educational Objectives
At the end of this activity, you will be able to:
1. Explain a new or unfamiliar viewpoint on a topic of ethical or professional conduct;
2. Evaluate the usefulness of this information for health care practice, teaching, or conduct;
3. Decide whether and when to apply the new information to health care practice, teaching, or conduct.
Keywords
Ethics, Antibiotic Use, Overuse, Resistance, Stewardship, Infectious Diseases, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Environmental Health
Competencies
Medical Knowledge, Professionalism
CME Credit Type
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
DOI
10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.10.peer1-1710
