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A parent is concerned his child is taking drugs. Should you acquiesce to a parent's request to test him for this without him knowing about it? The fundamental principle involved in this question is based on the trust relationship that ought to exist between the physician and the physician's patient, the child in this case. It would be a violation of the physician's core relationship with the patient if the request for drug screening were performed as demanded by the parents without the patient's permission. It would not be ethical nor smart to acquiesce to the parents desires without the child's knowledge or consent. A far better approach would be the one you have suggested and adopted, which is to encourage improved communication between family members.
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