MTPMLSP111_: PRINCIPLES OF MED LAB SCIENCE PRACTICE 1

LESSON 3: Ethics
1st SEMESTER | S.Y. 2023-2024 BY: DESTACAMENTO, L.G. | 1MT01
LECTURER: SIR OJ GARCIA

OUTLINE Beneficence

3.1 Human Existence and Ethics ❖ “to do good”

3.2 Bioethics ❖ Benefits outweighs the risk.
3.3 Good Clinical Practice ❖ Obligation of physician to act for the benefit of the
3.4 Ethical Concerns Involved in Human patient and supports a number of moral rules to
Experimentation protect and defend the right of others, prevent harm,
3.5 Nuremberg Trial and Nuremberg Code remove conditions that will cause harm, help persons
3.6 Tuskegee Syphilis Study with disabilities, and rescue persons in danger.
3.7 School of Ethics
Non-maleficence
3.8 Ethical Relativism
3.9 Ethical Pragmatism ❖ Maleficence = “evil”
3.10 Ethical Utilitarianism ❖ The obligation of a physician not to harm the patient.
3.11 Issues ❖ “to do no harm”
3.12 Professional Ethics
3.13 Code of Ethics Justice
❖ The principle that when weighing up if something is
3.1 Human Existence and Ethics ethical or not, we have to think about whether it's
compatible with the law, the patient's rights, and if it's
Ethics fair and balanced.
❖ Acting in a spirit of fairness
❖ Moral code that guides how an individual should
behave. 3.3 Good Clinical Practice
❖ Deals with moral principles.
❖ Bounded by: Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
a) Logical – problems of reasoning
❖ International ethical and scientific quality standard for
b) Epistemological – problems of truth
designing, conducting, recording and reporting trials
c) Cosmological – problems of the universe
that involve participation of human subjects.
d) Ethical – problems of morality
❖ Written standards.
e) Aesthetical – problems of art and beauty
f) Scientific problems - problems of science Good Clinical Practice and Bioethics
3.2 Bioethics ❖ No standard/guidelines for medical practitioners in
human testing in the early days.
❖ Science and study of ethical issues concerning the
advancement in the practice of biology and medicine. 18th Century
❖ Bio living or moral principles.
❖ Concerning all living organisms. ❖ Smallpox is a dreaded disease, many have died,
survivors are disfigured.
4 principles of bioethics ❖ Variolation – practice of infecting people with low
doses of smallpox, forms a mild disease but prevents
1. Autonomy the person to get reinfected.
2. Beneficence
3. Non-maleficence Edward Jenner
4. Justice
❖ Used the cowpox virus to vaccine individuals against
Autonomy smallpox virus in 1796.

❖ The right of competent adults to make informed 3.4 Ethical Concerns Involved in Human
decisions about their own medical care.
❖ The principle underlies the requirement to seek the experimentation
consent or informed agreement of the patient before
any investigation or treatment takes place.
WW II Nazi Atrocities
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 MTPMLSP111_: PRINCIPLES OF MED LAB SCIENCE PRACTICE 1
LESSON 3: Ethics
1st SEMESTER | S.Y. 2023-2024 BY: DESTACAMENTO, L.G. | 1MT01
LECTURER: SIR OJ GARCIA

❖ WORST HUMAN EXPERIMENTS

❖ Series of human experimentations performed on
prisoners of war by German doctors which resulted in
disfigurement, permanent disability or death.
1. Twin Experiment – Dr. Josef Mengele (Angel of
Death)
2. Transplant Experiment – Bone, muscle and nerves
3. Freezing Experiments – Treating hypothermia,
rewarming.
4. Sterilization and Fertility Experiments – Prevent
defective progeny. 3.8 Ethical Relativism
3.5 Nuremberg Trial and Nuremberg Code Ethical Relativism

Nuremburg Trial ❖ Also known as moral relativism.

❖ School of ethics anchored on the principle of morality.
❖ November 20, 1945 ❖ Theory based on norms.
o 25 German Scientists were taken to trial ❖ Acknowledge societal diversity.
o 7 were acquitted
o 9 imprisoned 3.9 Ethical Pragmatism
o 9 were given death sentences
Ethical Pragmatism
Nuremberg code
❖ Coined by Charles Sanders Pierce.
❖ Drafted in 1947, first documented code of ethics for ❖ Developed by William James.
human research. ❖ Theory on knowledge, truth, and meaning rather
❖ Start of bioethics. morality.
❖ Applied in medical field during decision making and
3.6 Tuskegee Syphilis Study moral reasoning.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972) 3.10 Ethical Utilitarianism

❖ Intent of the study is to record the natural history of
syphilis in Blacks. Ethical Utilitarianism
o Total of 600 black men were enrolled in the study ❖ Founded by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.
but were never told about the study. ❖ Rightness or wrongness of actions is determined by
❖ No informed consent process 1947 penicillin was consequences.
introduced as cure for syphilis, but this cure was o Good actions = happiness
withheld from the participants. o Bad actions = unhappiness
❖ July 1972 – Jean Heller of the Associated press revealed
the study and that participants have died as well as 3.11 Issues
wives, girlfriends and their children have been infected.
❖ November 1972 – the study was officially ended. Moral issues
3.7 School of Ethics ❖ There are numerous ethical issues in the field of
medicine that are perceived to be controversial.
Ethics vs morality ❖ Some of the concerns that need to be considered when
doing an ethical review in the context of the health
❖ Ethics can be connected to morality. care profession are:
❖ Morality can be viewed as: o Diversity
o Law, inner conviction o Decision making
o Love o Compliance
o Personal growth o Governance
o Social transformation
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 MTPMLSP111_: PRINCIPLES OF MED LAB SCIENCE PRACTICE 1
LESSON 3: Ethics
1st SEMESTER | S.Y. 2023-2024 BY: DESTACAMENTO, L.G. | 1MT01
LECTURER: SIR OJ GARCIA

❖ The following ethical issues are those that continue to
be talked about and debated on because of their
controversial nature.
Abortion
Article II, Section 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution
states that:
The state recognizes the sanctity of life and shall
protect and strengthen the family as a basic
autonomous social institution. It shall equally
protect the life of the mother and the life of the
unborn from conception.
❖ Procedure to screen, choose, select genes for detection
of any genetic disease and chromosomal
malformations.
❖ Done for early diagnosis.
Genetic interventions
❖ Techniques: genetic control, therapy, and surgery.
❖ Biological process is intervened and controlled.
Stem-cell therapy
❖ Uses stem cells to treat/prevent diseases.
❖ Controversial due to the source of stem cell.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

❖ Considered as illegal in the Philippines.
❖ Abortion can be: ❖ Also known as laboratory fertilization.
o Direct ❖ Perceive to be a deviation from the natural process of
o Induced fertilization.
o Caused by natural cases or accidents.
❖ Abortion becomes necessary when the life of the 3.12 Professional Ethics
mother is at stake.
❖ For anti-abortion groups, it is the ultimate violation of Professional ethics
life.
❖ Doing what is right in the workplace.
Euthanasia
Code of ethics
❖ Also known as Mercy Killing.
❖ Ending a life intentionally to relieve a person of pain ❖ Guiding principle in the ethical practice of a profession.
and suffering. ❖ Maintains healthy and productive work environment.
❖ Merciful release of individual from an incurable ❖ Guides in dealing with issues and conflicts.
disease.
The Philippine Medical Technologists Code of Ethics
❖ Herbert Hendin (2004) – euthanasia as the process of
inducing the painless death of a person who is severely ❖ Dr. Nardito Moraleta (Original)
debilitated for reasons assumed to be merciful. ❖ Professor Rodolfo Rabor (Revised)
o Voluntary – when an individual gives consent to
subject themselves to a painless death.
o Non-Voluntary – conducted when the permission
of the patient to perform the process is
unavailable.
▪ Comatose
▪ Neonates – born with significant and major
birth defects.
o Involuntary – when the individual does not give
their consent.

Genetic Engineering
❖ Genetic manipulations against moral standards.
❖ Human are seen to be acting as their own gods.
❖ Some procedures involved in genetic engineering:

Genetic Screening

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