Medical professional law is the set of regulations and rules that govern the operation of the medical profession, its practice and its access to information. The scope of professional medical law is defined vertically: in terms of the number of laws to which a physician is subject and, in terms of its horizontal application, in terms of their application in the relationship between physicians and other health care professionals such as nurses and pharmacists.
A medical professional has no legal capacity that enables him or her to act on behalf of his or her patients, but he or she may represent him or herself as a practitioner of medicine and give legal advice, conduct medical research, defend and protect him or herself, and perform the duties of a physician. Although a legal expert in medicine, he or she may not perform all the functions that a lawyer can perform; for example, he or she may not act as a lawyer or take the deposition of another person. A medical professional also does not have any form of protection from the public in relation to medical matters that are considered private by the community.
Professional medical law includes various types of laws that govern the relationship between doctors and health care professionals. The first and most important of these laws is the Physician’s Code of Ethics that states what a doctor may and cannot do. This code has been in effect since 1970, and was created by the American Academy of Pediatrics, but there are variations across the different states in the United States. The second important aspect is the Code of Professional Responsibility of a doctor that provides the doctor with the general direction to practice medicine.
The third important law of professional responsibility code is the Physician’s Liability Act, which defines and protects a physician’s liability for malpractice and breach of contract. The fourth law of professional responsibility is the Code of Professional Conduct of a physician, which lays down the basic principles of medical ethics that a physician should follow. There are additional regulations in relation to the use of controlled substances by physicians as well as the use of anatomical tissue and instruments and their use in the practice of medicine.
The fifth important piece of the physician-professional code is the Code of Professional Conduct of a Physician. This document establishes the basic ethical principles of the practice of medicine as well as laid out in the professional responsibility code and the Physician’s Code of Ethics. The sixth important part is the Code of Professional Practice of a Physician. Which requires a physician to report cases of fraud within the institution or practice to the Board of Registration of Physicians. The seventh important component of a physician-professional code is the Uniform Rule of Professional Ethics.
Medical professional code of ethics and the other rules of professional responsibility are designing to establish and protect the interest of patients in relation to their health care. The law of professional responsibility is designed to ensure that physicians take appropriate and necessary action when a patient is harmed as a result of the negligence or recklessness of a physician. The rules of professional practice are designed to protect physicians from lawsuits by patients that claim negligence as a result of professional negligence.
