According to a new Nanos Research poll, Canadians rate physicians and pharmacists highest among 18 professions, when it comes to honesty and ethics. Seventy-seven per cent of respondents call medical doctors' standards of honesty and ethics "high" or "very high", while the figure was 73 per cent for community pharmacists.
Also among the top five professions whose honesty and ethics were rated as "high" or "very high", were high school teachers at 66 per cent, police officers at 58 per cent, and clergy at 50 per cent.
"We are pleased with the results," said Dwight Ball, president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association's Board of Directors. "Pharmacists and physicians are both key members of a patient's health care team who collaborate to achieve better health outcomes for Canadians."
The poll asked respondents: Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethics of people in the following professions and Would you rate their honesty and ethics as very high, high, average, low or very low? The professions ranged from health professionals to business executives; lawyers; provincial legislators; public servants; car salespeople, and others.
"As health professionals advising patients on their personal health issues, nothing is more important to us than trust," said Jeff Poston, executive director of the Canadian Pharmacists Association. "We consult with patients on matters ranging from minor ailments to medication management in chronic diseases. It's vital that people feel they can talk to us in confidence, and trust in the advice they receive."
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