Medical ethics and professional conduct are governed by Executive Decree No. 92-276 of 6 July 1992, which sets out the rules of conduct for doctors, dentists and pharmacists.

The legal framework is based on principles such as respect for human life and dignity, professional confidentiality, professional independence and patient choice.

The Health Act of 2 July 2018 (Act No. 18-11) repealed Act 85/05 and strengthened the framework governing the functioning of the Councils of the Order of Medical Professions.

Medical ethics concerns the moral principles guiding the profession, while professional conduct is the set of professional rules that derive from these principles, codified in a code of conduct.

Ethics is based on principles such as autonomy, beneficence (doing good), non-maleficence (doing no harm) and justice (treating everyone fairly).

Professional conduct, a set of legally binding duties, puts these ethical principles into practice, in particular through respect for professional confidentiality, patient consent and equal treatment.