The Legal Powers and Responsibilities of Pharmacists: Regulations on the Dispensing of Controlled Medicines, Violations, and Multidimensional Implications Under Law No. 17 of 2023
Keywords:
pharmacist authority, prescription-only drugs, pharmaceutical violations, legal implications, health law 2023Abstract
Pharmacists hold a strategic role as the front line of pharmaceutical services, responsible for the safety and quality of medications provided to patients. This writing analyzes the authority and legal responsibility of pharmacists based on Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health, covering the foundations of competence (pharmaceutical science, clinical skills, and communication), regulations for the dispensing of prescription-only drugs (with and without prescriptions), five forms of jurisdictional violations, as well as multidimensional legal implications including criminal sanctions (up to 12 years imprisonment), civil sanctions (compensation), administrative sanctions (revocation of license), consumer protection, and the systemic impact on public trust. The results of the analysis indicate that a pharmacist's authority does not stand alone without the ties of legal responsibility, and violations of authority remain rampant due to weak supervision and the minimal legal awareness of practitioners.
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