Case Study: You Will Do What You Are Told

Whether the circumstances identified in the case, or other situation, are there laws in the US that would support the medical assistant in this case to refuse to take an action that is against her ethics and still get her promotion?

What specific law states that Dr. Bully is not permitted to threaten this medical assistant the way he did?

Share the name of the law and its connection with this case.

You Will Do What You Are Told—Case for Chapter 15 Kevin D. Zeiler Helping others has always been your passion and the fact that you are working in a cancer care center, as a medical assistant, is a dream come true. You are also completing your undergraduate degree in health care management and are hopeful that there will be a position for you with the center as an entry-level manager. Each day you continually work to prove yourself to the physician, Dr. Bully, who is the owner of the center. You feel like you have done everything you can to prove that you can manage the center once you have completed your degree. Life is never easy at the center, as extremely sick patients are the norm. Today, however, a young patient comes in after being in remission for the last six months. She states she is often tired and has trouble sleeping at night. She also states she read about an experimental drug called ZX12 that is being touted as a post-cancer treatment medication that will get you on your feet quicker, restore your energy, and prevent cancer from returning. She indicates to you that she would like to try this new medication. Being the student of health care that you are, you explain to her that the medication is not approved by the FDA, and that since her condition is improving, she does not qualify under the current state laws surrounding experi- mental drugs. You complete your preliminary work up and provide Dr. Bully with her chart. As the day draws to a close and the last patient leaves the center, Dr. Bully provides you with a form that he asks you to fill out and return to him for a signature. You have done this many times and don’t think much about it until you read the form. Dr. Bully is putting in a request for the experimental drug ZX12 for the young female patient you visited with earlier today. Because you feel this is an inappropriate treatment modality based on your understanding of current laws, you decide that you will discuss this with Dr. Bully. Dr. Bully is in his office when you ask if you can speak with him. After making your case, Dr. Bully becomes enraged and asks you who you think you are to question the decision of an MD. Furthermore, he tells you that the management job that you desire will not be available unless the paperwork is completed and on his desk in the next 30 minutes. He then tells you to leave his office, get back to work, and do what you are told.