Category: Codes of Ethics

Doctor on duty ‘will not prescribe the birth control pill,’ reads sign at Calgary walk-in clinic

National Post

Manisha Krishnan

CALGARY – A doctor at a Calgary walk-in clinic is refusing to prescribe birth control due to her personal beliefs.

Dr. Chantal Barry will not prescribe contraception, a receptionist at the Westglen Medical Centre confirmed. Patients looking for birth control are provided a list of other offices in the city that prescribe it.

Westglen only has one doctor available to walk-in patients at any given time, so a sign at the facility’s front desk reads, “The physician on duty today will not prescribe the birth control pill.”

“I was shocked and outraged,” said Joan Chand’oiseau, 45, who saw the sign while attending an appointment with her gynecologist Tuesday. Ms. Chand’oiseau immediately posted a photo of the sign on Facebook, prompting angry responses from several of her friends.

“I don’t think her belief system should have any part in my reproductive health,” she said.

Under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta’s policy on Moral or Religious Beliefs Affecting Medical Care, doctors can refuse to provide medical services, but must ensure the patient is offered timely access to those services from another practitioner. . . [Full text]

Code of Ethics for Midwives

Pursuant to Article 27 Midwifery Act

And Article 22 Statute of the Croatian Chamber of Midwives
Adopted 27 January, 2010

Several sections of the Croatian Code of Ethics for Midwives are relevant to the issue of freedom of conscience.  Theses are reproduced below in Croatian and English for the convenience of researchers.  For legal or other formal purposes, one should consult the original document and have it professionally translated. [Extracts from the Code]

Etički Kodeks Primalja

Na temelju članka 27. Zakona o primaljstvu (NN 120/08)

te članka 22,Statuta Hrvatske komore primalja

Nekoliko sekcije Hrvatskog Etičkog kodeksa primalja su relevantne za pitanje slobode savjesti. Teze su navedene u nastavku na hrvatskom i engleskom jeziku za praktičnost istraživača. Za pravne ili druge svečane svrhe, treba konzultirati izvorni dokument i to profesionalno prevodi. [Izvadci iz zakona]

Defiance of law predicted as Quebec moves toward legalization of assisted suicide

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the government of Quebec will introduce legislation to legalize physician assisted suicide in the province between 7 and 14 June, 2013.  The draft bill is expected to assert that physician assisted suicide is a form of health care, and thus (under Canada’s constitutional division of powers) subject to provincial regulation, not the Criminal Code, a federal law that prohibits the procedures.  Depending upon the wording of the bill, the proposed legislation could include euthanasia by physicians.  Dr. Paul Saba of Physicians for Social Justice, a group that opposes the legislation, states that he will refuse to assist or refer any patient who asks for assisted suicide or euthanasia, regardless of the law or the policies of the Collège des médecins du Québec (Quebec College of Physicians), the state regulator of the practice of medicine.  [CBC]

British pharmacy regulator plans to revisit freedom of conscience for pharmacists

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), the state regulator of the profession of pharmacy in the United Kingdom, will be reviewing its standards of conduct, ethics and performance, “including Standard 3.4 which sets out what pharmacy professionals must do if their religious or moral beliefs prevent them from providing a service.”

Preliminary work is to be done in 2013, and there will be public consultation and engagement in 2014/2015.  Those concerned about freedom of conscience among pharmacists in the United Kingdom should follow and participate in the review.

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