1. (a) The ethical standards set forth in this part shall bind all licensed pharmacists, and a violation of any such standard shall be a basis for the imposition of disciplinary sanctions.

2. (b) A licensed pharmacist shall comply with the law and accept the following ethical principles:

   1. (1) Hold the health and safety of patients to be of first consideration and render to each patient the full measure of the pharmacist’s ability as an essential health practitioner;
   2. (2) Never condone the dispensing, promoting or distributing of drugs or medical devices, or assist therein, that do not meet standards required by law or that, in the pharmacist’s professional judgment, lack therapeutic value for the patient;
   3. (3) Always strive to perfect and enlarge the pharmacist’s professional knowledge;
   4. (4) Utilize and make available the pharmacist’s knowledge as might be required in accordance with the pharmacist’s best professional judgment;
   5. (5) Not engage in any activity that will bring discredit to the profession, and report, without fear or favor, illegal or unethical conduct in the profession to the OPLC, board, or other appropriate authority;
   6. (6) Never agree to or participate in transactions with practitioners of other health professions or any other person under which fees are divided or that might cause financial or other exploitation in connection with the rendering of professional services;
   7. (7) Respect the confidential and personal nature of professional records, and disclose such information only as allowed by state or federal law;
   8. (8) Not knowingly agree to practice under terms or conditions that prevent the proper exercise of professional judgment and skill or otherwise cause a deterioration of the quality of the pharmacist’s service or that require the pharmacist to consent to unethical conduct, provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall require a pharmacist to cease operations based on insufficient support staffing;
   9. (9) Refrain from advertising professional services in a manner that is misleading to the public or that conveys by implication that the services of other licensed pharmacists are unethical or inferior;
   10. (10) Maintain a sanitary and orderly work area that is fully equipped and stocked to meet the needs of the population or other clients served by the pharmacy; and
   11. (11) Fulfill all professional obligations conscientiously and with due respect for the well-being of the population or other clients served by the pharmacy, and uphold at all times the standards of the profession of pharmacy.

Source. #2260, eff 1-5-83; ss by #2914, eff 11-27-84; ss by #4600, eff 8-1-89; ss by #6094-B, INTERIM, eff 9-21-95, EXPIRED: 1-19-96 New. #6181-B, eff 2-5-96, EXPIRED: 2-5-04 New. #8316, eff 3-26-05; ss by #10455, eff 11-1-13; ss by #14063, eff 8-22-24