Responses
Other responses
Jump to comment:
- Published on: 2 March 2020
- Published on: 2 March 2020Pharmacists , 'unavoidable person beliefs' and Freedom of Conscience
In Ireland, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 provides 'conscientious objection' for doctors and nurses (and their students and trainees). Conscientious objection under this legislation is not provided for pharmacists, pharmacy students or any other healthcare staff. The Irish state does not respect my inalienable human right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, in this matter. My 'unavoidable personal beliefs' are unrecognised. As a pharmacist my dignity is not respected in the same way that the dignity of doctors and nurses and their students/trainees is respected in the Act.
As an Irish pharmacist I am deeply concerned at the challenge to my right to freedom of conscience and consequently my dignity as a human being. The Irish State must ensure that I as a human being and a pharmacist can enjoy my human and constitutional right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief on the basis of respect for my inherent human dignity. Pharmacists (and others) can have 'unavoidable personal beliefs'.
The right to conscientious objection is not only based on the right to “freedom of conscience”, but also on Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes that all human beings “are endowed with reason and conscience.” This includes pharmacists.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared.
Other content recommended for you
- Why medical professionals have no moral claim to conscientious objection accommodation in liberal democracies
- Conscientious objection in healthcare: new directions
- Professional and conscience-based refusals: the case of the psychiatrist's harmful prescription
- Conscientious objection in healthcare, referral and the military analogy
- Non-accommodationism and conscientious objection in healthcare: a response to Robinson
- Response to: ‘Why medical professionals have no moral claim to conscientious objection accommodation in liberal democracies’ by Schuklenk and Smalling
- Conscientious objection in healthcare and the duty to refer
- Conscientious commitment, professional obligations and abortion provision after the reversal of Roe v Wade
- Voluntarily chosen roles and conscientious objection in health care
- Conscientious objection and medical tribunals