The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today sent a response to the General Pharmaceutical Council’s consultation on new standards that are being written to regulate the profession. The standards include areas such as confidentiality, education and ethics.
Pepper Harow, Campaigns Officer, commented, ‘The BHA response focuses on the conduct, ethics and performance section of the standards with which we have a number of concerns. We have made it clear that the rights of employees to express their religion or belief must be subject to limitation when delivering a public service in order to prevent a “conflict of rights” with the service user. If pharmacists are allowed to refuse certain services to patients because they believe it conflicts with their beliefs to supply such services, it should never be the case that those accessing services should suffer. At a minimum, it should be expected that the patient or the public be referred to someone who can meet their needs – but only if this would not cause them any distress or particular inconvenience. Where this is not possible, we suggest that the service provider is not obliged to accommodate the wishes of the pharmacist over the needs of the patient.
‘This consultation forms part of a bigger picture where the rights of service users to access comprehensive, secular services without discrimination are being questioned because of the pressure on employers to amend their practices in order to accommodate the requests of their religious employees. Amendments have been proposed to the Equality Bill (currently before Parliament) on both sides regarding conscientious objection and we are planning to undertake detailed work on this area over the coming year.’
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For further comment or information, contact Pepper Harow on 020 7462 4992.