(dok′trin)

[Fr. doctrine, fr. L. doctrina, teaching]
A system of beliefs, policies, or principles.

borrowed servant doctrine

The legal doctrine that a patient care supervisor (such as an attending physician who oversees the work of a resident physician) may be held responsible for the negligent acts of a subordinate.
SEE: Captain of the Ship doctrine; SEE: vicarious liability

Captain of the Ship doctrine

The legal doctrine that the legal responsibility for errors in a medical setting falls on the most highly trained or senior health care provider present at the time. This doctrine has been used to hold attending physicians or surgeons responsible for the negligent acts of the surgical or anesthesia team.
SEE: borrowed servant doctrine; SEE: vicarious liability

learned intermediary doctrine

The legal doctrine that a pharmaceutical manufacturer need only advise or warn physicians, and not the public at large, of the potential hazards of the drugs it produces. Under this doctrine physicians act as agents for the public when they prescribe medications. Their education and clinical experience help them decide when to use a medication and when, because of safety concerns, to avoid its use. Exceptions to the doctrine are illustrated by direct-to-consumer drug advertising (such as on television or the Internet) in which pharmaceutical companies present their products directly to patients without the physician acting as intermediary.
SYN: SEE: learned intermediary rule