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Pharmaceutical Ethics and Physician Liability in Side Effects

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Abstract

We review Side Effects, a 2013 film involving bioethics, pharmaceuticals, and financial conspiracies. After the main character Emily unsuccessfully attempts suicide, she begins receiving care from a psychiatrist, Dr. Banks. Following numerous events, she is placed on a fictional antidepressant, Ablixa, which leads her to suffer from sleepwalking. During an episode of sleepwalking she commits a serious crime. The film poses an interesting dilemma: How responsible would the physician be in this instance? We analyze this question by applying numerous ethical principles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 N.W. 10th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Gaurav J. Dhiman & Kyle T. Amber

Authors
  1. Gaurav J. Dhiman
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  2. Kyle T. Amber
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Correspondence to Gaurav J. Dhiman.

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Dhiman, G.J., Amber, K.T. Pharmaceutical Ethics and Physician Liability in Side Effects . J Med Humanit 34, 497–503 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-013-9239-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-013-9239-3

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