Potential assisted dying legislation continues to be developed in the various jurisdictions that make up the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies. PDA has members in all those areas who could be impacted by such proposals becoming law.
The PDA has consistently called for lawmakers to include a conscience clause in bills that would legalise assisted suicide or assisted dying (AS/AD). Such a clause would allow pharmacists not to be under any obligation to participate in any aspect of an AS/AD process if they have an ethical objection.
In recent progress for the bill being debated in the Scottish Parliament an amendment from Brian Whittle MSP introduced such a clause.
Maurice Hickey, Head of Policy – PDA Scotland said: “I welcome Brian Whittle MSP’s timely amendment which will ensure that pharmacists in Scotland should have the right to opt out from taking part in the process of assisted dying if they so choose, if and when this becomes law.
“This is the third time that such an assisted dying bill has been brought before our national parliament, and the current bill has evolved significantly. I would, therefore, hope that the other UK legislatures take heed of this amendment and move to include such a conscientious objection clause to their own bills, and ensure that nowhere in the UK or Crown Dependencies would any individual pharmacist be forced to participate in the process against their will.”
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