Is it Ok to Shrink your Sister in an Emergency?

I'd like to bend your ear with a hypothetical situation and see what you think.  This one is for the docs, and I'm going to start and end it with a simple question: is it okay to prescribe for a family member?  Is it okay to prescribe a psychotropic medication for oneself or a family member?  Before you jump on me, let me tell you that to the best that I am aware, docs have always written prescriptions for themselves and for their family members.  An antibiotic, an allergy medication, I think this has been par for the course for straightforward things.  When I was an intern, one of the nurses asked me to write for an ulcer medication for her mother ---I said 'no' since I'd never so much as seen the mother, but it was uncomfortable for me.  I've heard older and wiser psychiatrists talk about prescribing Valium for themselves, Xanax for a friend afraid to fly, an antidepressant for a parent, and I've certainly had patients who've gotten medications from family members who are docs, including controlled substances.Somewhere in there, it became taboo to prescribe for family members, particularly psychotropic medications or controlled substances.  In our state, the licensing board sanctions people if they learn about prescriptions written for anyone where there is no chart.  I think.  What's kosher and what's not kosher is a bit of a guessing game, and while obviously it's a problem to prescribe large quantities of Oxy for yourself...
Source: Shrink Rap - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Source Type: blogs