School of Medicine, UNAM

General Secretariat
BIOETHICS COMMITTEE

1. INTRODUCTION

As medicine is a field that is in a constant, intense state of progress, it is necessary to regulate both the learning and application of its object of study. For this reason, the School of Medicine, an institution whose main functions are teaching, research and diffusion of the health of the human being, needs a body to issue decisions with respect to the established ethical norms. To this end, in 1989 the Scientific Research Coordination, the University Research into Health Program and the School of Medicine made an agreement to form Ethics, Biosafety and Research Committees approved by the School's Technical Council. Thus, the bases were laid for a review of actions and projects requiring evaluation from a Bioethical point of view.

Bioethics consists of the systematic study of human behavior in the sphere of the life and health sciences which is analyzed in the light of moral values and principles (Encyclopedia of Bioethics, 1978). The field of bioethics that covers the numerous ethical dilemmas generated by bioscientific research and its medical application is the object of a great amount of attention. The School of Medicine has a Bioethics Committee that evaluates and approves research projects in which the probabilities of affecting subjects involved in the research are significant. According to the General Health Law, research which entails the greatest risks in its procedures includes:

1.1 Protocols including radiological studies and that use microwaves, pesticides and pathogens.
1.2 Tests with medicines that are not of common use, are not authorized for sale with a wide therapeutical margin or do not use the established indications, doses and administration routes.
1.3 Tests with new appliances.
1.4 Studies including surgical procedures.
1.5 All invasive techniques and major procedures.
1.6 Psychological tests on individuals or groups in which the subject's behavior will be manipulated.
1.7 Tests using random assignation methods for therapeutical schemes.
1.8 Tests that use placebos as control.
1.9 Environmental risks: pesticides, fertilizers.
2.0 Fraud, plagiary and other cases that the Director sends to the Commission.

2. PURPOSE

To draw up normative guidelines for the functioning of the Bioethics Committee of the School of Medicine.

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