The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7436 p107-108
27 January 2007

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Letters to the Editor

Ethics

Pharmacists must have a conscience clause

From Mr S. J. Lewis, MRPharmS

I am concerned about potential provision of lethal drugs for physician-assisted suicide. As I have previously written (PJ, 4 February 2006, p133), the thought that I could be involved in the process of killing somebody, however much the patient might want this, is abhorrent. If legislation were to be passed allowing this, the protection of the pharmacist’s conscience clause, as stated by Rosemary Baker (PJ, 13 January, p48), is essential. Pharmacists like myself must be allowed to opt out.

I strongly urge the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the profession to fight for a conscience clause to be included in any proposed legislation. The current Code of Ethics should also be strengthened to let pharmacists opt out from promoting and supplying medicines for purposes incompatible with their consciences.

Simon Lewis
Hove, East Sussex

Fight for a conscience clause

From Mrs J. D. Payne, MRPharmS

I commend Eileen Neilson, head of policy development at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, for commissioning the two articles on the possible implications of physician-assisted suicide (PJ, 18 November 2006, p614, and 25 November 2006, p639) and Rosemary Baker (PJ, 13 January, p48) for once again speaking out to safeguard the individual rights of pharmacists to practise according to their beliefs.

I wrote to The Daily Telegraph when a news item appeared describing how a pharmacist was vilified by a customer for not providing emergency hormonal contraception. The woman clearly understood her rights, but not those of the Muslim pharmacist. My letter was not printed but a letter was published from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society explaining that a Code of Ethics exists in the profession. It would be good to have a notice supplied to this effect for display alongside our registration certificates.

I urge pharmacists of all faiths to fight for a clause that will properly protect their rights to refuse to dispense drugs to aid physician-assisted suicide.

Jeanette Payne
Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire

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