PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Translational Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1693059
Animal-derived ingredients in medicines: A framework for ethical prescribing practices
Provisionally accepted
- 1Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mt Pleasant, United States
- 2London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom
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An increasing number of patients want to avoid animal-derived ingredients in medications due to ethical, religious, or cultural beliefs, yet transparency about these ingredients remains limited. Healthcare professionals often lack guidance on how to respect their preferences while ensuring effective treatment. Here, we propose an ethical pharmacotherapy modification framework that guides clinicians through a stepwise approach, altering manufacturer, dosage form, administration method, or medication itself, to accommodate patient values without compromising clinical efficacy. This framework balances respect for patient autonomy with clinical beneficence. Implementing this approach is likely to enhance patient trust and adherence by aligning pharmaceutical care with individual ethical considerations and promoting patient-centered care.
Keywords: Ethics - clinical, Patient Preference, Prescription, Animals, Values & beliefs
Received: 26 Aug 2025; Accepted: 16 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lababidi, Bobier and Rodger. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Christopher Bobier, bobie1c@cmich.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.