Citation
Boyce, Ross M. (2009). Waiver of Consent: The Use of Pyridostigmine Bromide during the Persian Gulf War.
Journal of Military Ethics, 8(1), 1-18.
Abstract
In 1990, issues of individual autonomy and informed consent came to the forefront when the United States Department of Defense requested and eventually obtained a waiver from the Food and Drug Administration authorizing the use of investigational compounds in soldiers without their informed consent. This article reviews the concepts of autonomy and informed consent within the military, and examines the history and ethical debate surrounding the Interim Rule. The author suggests that an ethical impasse will continue to exist so long it remains morally unacceptable to expose human subjects to chemical agents for the purposes of research. Yet definitional constraints should not preclude the development of potentially beneficial compounds in appropriate circumstances. The author proposes criteria to establish an investigational agent as standard of care. Using this set of criteria, he examines the use of pyridostigmine bromide during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a notable decision given the strong association between the agent and Gulf War Illness. A detailed review concludes that the agent in question cannot be considered standard-of-care treatment and that the compulsory administration of the compound without informed consent constituted a violation of the principle outlined in the landmark bioethics documents of the twentieth century.
URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/15027570902805240Reference Type
Journal Article
Year Published
2009
Journal Title
Journal of Military Ethics
Author(s)
Boyce, Ross M.
ORCiD
Boyce, R - 0000-0002-9489-6324
