All health practitioners registered under Medical Council of Zambia are expected to adhere to a professional and ethical code of conduct as prescribed in the Rules issued under the Medical and Allied Professional Act, CAP. 297 of the Laws of Zambia.

In addition to this, all practitioners registered with the Council are expected to observe principles of good medical practice which are;

• To make the care of the patient the practitioners first concern;
• To treat every patient politely and considerately;
• To respect patients dignity and privacy;
• To listen to patient.s and respect their views;
• To give patients information in a way they can understand;
• To respect the rights of patients to be fully involved in decisions about their care;
• To keep his/her professional knowledge and skills up to date;
• To recognise the limits of his/her professional competence;
• To be honest and trustworthy;
• To respect and protect confidential information;
• To make sure that his/her personal beliefs do not prejudice his/her patients care;
• To act quickly to protect patients from risk if he/she has good reason to believe that he/she or a colleague may not be fit to practice;
• To avoid abusing his/her position as a practitioner; and
• To work with colleagues in the ways that best serves a patients interests.

Failure to meet these standards constitutes professional misconduct and may put the practitioners registration with the Council at risk.

The Council upholds the following principles:

• Ensure high standards of professional practice among all registered health practitioners;
• Enhance sound professional and educational background as a basis for good health professional practice;,
• To deal firmly, fairly and timely with health practitioners who failed to maintain ethical or professional standards or whose fitness to practice was questionable;
• Enhance provision of an effective and efficient supervisory role to medical practice in particular and health practice in general;
• Enhance monitoring mechanisms over practitioners and institutions under the regulatory mandate of the Council;
• Promote efficiency in the administration of the registration and licensing systems operated and managed by the Council.

The Council also exercises registration and licensing controls both over practitioners and health facilities in line with the provisions of the Law to guarantee quality healthcare delivery countrywide.

Booklet on Professional conduct and discipline "Fitness to Practice" is available at the MCZ offices at a fee.