Q: Does a doctor need an adult-patients consent to give them an anti-depressant?
Hello,
I am 64yo was in a hospital being treated for intestinal issues for a few days by an Internal Medicine MD I do not know and barely spoke with and today the nurse came in my room to give me medications which included four new capsules. I found out they were anti-depressants and they were the maximum dosage of 120mg, not the typical starting dosage of 40-60mg. The doctor had said nothing to me about starting any new medication.
I had not agreed to take any psychiatric medications prescribed by any doctor at that hospital and was not going to take any without agreeing to take them.
A:
You are not required to take any medications you have not first discussed with a physician. Also, if the antidepressants were not prescribed by a treating psychiatrist, I would seriously question why they were prescribed and for what symptoms, and what diagnosis justifies the prescription.
Demand to see this doctor and/or his/her supervisor and ask all the questions you need in order to be fully advised and take an active part in your own recovery.
Since I cannot determine the level of your competency, other than from the written question you submitted, it is too difficult to give you more detailed or helpful advice or counseling.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
