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There should be simple processes for the public to declare their decision about organ donation in case of brain death. People should be encouraged to communicate their wishes with others so that family members can decide about their organ donation more easily.

Background: The medical profession has always been an inspiration for human societies throughout its diverse history. This position and historical authority in the field of ethics has had a different and higher status, in such a way that many of the norms of general ethics and professional ethics, especially principles, such as trust, confidentiality and respect for human dignity, have been developed by medical professionals. Developing guidelines of general and professional ethics is one of the inherent duties of the Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIMC) as a professional organization. In this regard, the Supreme Council of IRIMC has approved the "Code of Ethics for Medical Professionals" and, in accordance with its legal authority, has annexed it to the disciplinary regulations of IRIMC. Methods: A draft document, the result of extensive literature review, was discussed in 27 expert panel meetings and after receiving and endorsing the stakeholders’ point of view, was approved by the IRIMC Supreme Council. Results: The first edition of "Code of Ethics for Medical Professionals, Medical Council of Islamic Republic of Iran" was developed on July 6, 2017 by the Supreme Council of IRIMC. The guideline was set to take effect one year after its enactment. The first edition was revised and completed and final edition was adopted on August 9, 2018 by IRIMC in 13 chapters and 140 articles (original full text is available in the Supplementary file 1). Conclusion: According to the approved decision by the Supreme Council of IRIMC on May 10, 2018, the final edition takes effect as of October 7, 2018.

Medical ethics faces several challenges in different aspects of education, research, and treatment in medicine and healthcare practice. Design and implementation of a national strategic plan can pave the way for the development of a roadmap in various countries to strengthen ethics and address these challenges.  To create a comprehensive plan compatible with the Iranian healthcare system, a multidisciplinary team of main stakeholders compiled a national strategic plan of medical ethics following several focus group discussion sessions and two workshops (2014-2017). Ultimately, the plan was confirmed by the Supreme Council for the Medical Ethics of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The current paper is a national report of the process and the medical ethics strategic plan in Iran. We have also tracked signs of progress and achievements in the country. In conclusion, this valuable effort has led to significant success in the implementation of medical ethics in clinical medicine, medical research, and education by using all the resources in our country. The participation of all the stakeholders, especially healthcare professionals in this way is required.

Objectives: The dental profession has a special place of trust in the society, and dental clinicians must adhere to ethical standards in all dental procedures. Ethical conduct is one of the main expectations of individuals from this profession. The aim of this study was to design and develop dental ethical codes for national implementation in Iran. Materials and Methods:  This qualitative study was performed using directed content analysis method and purposive sampling. Data were collected until saturation through 15 semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews and two expert panels with academic staffs from dental faculties in Tehran, Iran. Results: Data were classified into five principles and 90 codes. The principles included consideration of patients’ interest as a priority, respect for human dignity and patient autonomy, confidentiality of patient information, the excellence of knowledge and skills, and building trust. Conclusion: The ethical codes for Iranian dentists were drafted considering Islamic teachings and the prevailing culture. Some codes were exclusively developed for the cultural atmosphere of Iran especially on topics such as interaction with patients previously treated by other dentists. Some codes addressed the principles of consultation and continuing the therapeutic communication with such patients. Some items have not been considered in codes released by other associations, such as religious considerations in Islamic cover and alcohol consumption that were taken into consideration in this draft. These codes can serve as a guide for professional practice of dentists. It seems that these sets can help us reach the standardized code.