Should Pharmacists Be Allowed to Conscientiously Object to Medicines Supply on the Basis of Their Personal Beliefs?

Isaac, Sami; Chaar, Betty; Savulescu, Julian

doi:10.4212/cjhp.v71i2.1866

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Conscientious objection has always been a point of contention and debate for many healthcare professionals. By definition, it is a professional’s ‘ right to refuse to engage or provide a service primarily because the action would violate their deeply held moral or ethical values about what is right and wrong’ 20 21. Similar to the ethical dilemmas associated with the provision of the emergency contraceptive pill or the abortifacient combination medication RU486 (M2-Step),22 the provision of PAS involves pharmacists and warrants that their views be considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australian pharmacists’ perspectives on physician-assisted suicide (PAS): thematic analysis of semistructured interviews

2019

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ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate Australian pharmacists’ views about their role in physician-assisted suicide (PAS), their ethical and legal concerns and overall thoughts about PAS in pharmacy.DesignSemistructured interviews of pharmacists incorporating a previously validated vignette and thematic analysis.SettingAustralia (face to face or phone call).Participants40 Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency registered pharmacists, majority women (65%) with varied experiences in community, hospital, industry, academia, government and other fields.ResultsEmergent themes from the interviews were: legal and logistical framework, ethical framework, training and guidance and healthcare budget. More than half the participants supported the role of pharmacists in the supply of medicines for PAS, while less than half were either against or unsure of the legislation of PAS in Australia. Shared concerns included transparency of prescribing practices and identification of authorised physicians involved in PAS, which were consistent with existing literature. Religious faith, emotion and professional autonomy were key indicators for the implementation of conscientious objection to the supply of medicines in PAS. Re-evaluation of current guidelines, pharmacist training and government reimbursement was also of significance from participants’ perspectives.ConclusionThis study revealed current concerns of practising pharmacists in Australia, including previously undocumented perspectives on the pharmacoeconomic impact of and barriers relating to PAS. The need for training of all healthcare professionals involved, the provision of clear guidelines, including regulation around storage, administration and disposal of medicines dispensed for PAS and the updating of current therapeutic guidelines around end-of-life care were all issues delineated by this study. These findings highlighted the need for current and future policies to account for all stakeholders involved in PAS, not solely prescribers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australian pharmacists’ perspectives on physician-assisted suicide (PAS): thematic analysis of semistructured interviews

2019

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“…In the debate about whether to allow conscientious objection for voluntary assisted dying (VAD), there are two extreme positions. One maintains that it should be prohibited altogether; 1 the other, that it should be allowed without any conditions, such as a requirement to refer a patient on to another health practitioner who does not conscientiously object, or to inform the patient of the existence of such practitioners. 2 In practice, the argument about whether to permit conscientious objection has already been won, and the remaining issue in contention is solely one of scope: what limitations or conditions should be imposed on the right to object?…”

Section: Voluntary Assisted Dying: Should Conscientious Objection Be mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An obligation to inform strikes the appropriate balance between the respective rights of practitioner and patient, especially since, as others have noted, practitioners have role obligations to provide a service that is legal. 1…”

Section: Voluntary Assisted Dying: Should Conscientious Objection Be mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thankyou on behalf of the JPPR

Dooley¹

2020

Pharmacy Practice and Res

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Section: Conflicts Of Interest Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reasonableness of any such disagreement about VAD requires that I respect my patients’ rights to act on their own beliefs, which in turn entails an obligation adequately to inform my patients to enable them to act on their own conscience. An obligation to inform strikes the appropriate balance between the respective rights of practitioner and patient, especially since, as others have noted, practitioners have role obligations to provide a service that is legal 1 …”

Section: Conflicts Of Interest Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%