Catholic Teaching for Pharmicists

[jmcrae]

No hypothetical here, I am a pharmacist. How can you separate a doctor’s “burden of conscience” from that of a pharmacist? I took an oath, much like medical doctors do, in which I swore to “do know harm”. I, and only I, determine what I believe to constitute harm.

Think of it this way. An MD is pro-life. He CHOOSES not to write prescriptions that conflict with his beliefs. You have no problem with that. On the other hand, I am a pharmacist. I am pro-life. I CHOOSE not to fill prescriptions that conflict with my beliefs. That seems to bother you?
The doctor has every right to listen to his conscience, and so do I.

True.

If a doctor were prescribing large doses of rat poison, you would refuse to fill the prescription, because you would know that it is harmful to the patient. You wouldn’t fill it anyway, and hope for the best, or say, “Oh, the doctor knows what he is doing, and the patient has agreed to this treatment; therefore, even though I know this will kill the patient, I will sell it to him anyway.”

It’s the same with artificial forms of contraception, which are dangerous to the human body (they render it sterile).

 

[Mirdath]

No hypothetical here, I am a pharmacist. How can you separate a doctor’s “burden of conscience” from that of a pharmacist? I took an oath, much like medical doctors do, in which I swore to “do know harm”. I, and only I, determine what I believe to constitute harm.

‘Do no harm’ is not even in the Hippocratic Oath, which you probably didn’t take; and looking at the Oath of a Pharmacist, it does not leave you room to creatively interpret prescriptions. You can’t supply tylenol-3s in place of heart medication because the person seems to be in pain, and you can’t supply nothing in place of contraception. You are subservient to the doctor’s order.

Think of it this way. An MD is pro-life. He CHOOSES not to write prescriptions that conflict with his beliefs. You have no problem with that. On the other hand, I am a pharmacist. I am pro-life. I CHOOSE not to fill prescriptions that conflict with my beliefs. That seems to bother you?

Yes. You are not a free agent as the doctor is; you are his liaison. If someone wants contraception and the doctor does not prescribe it, they find another doctor, much like someone feeling like a ham sandwich does not go to a kosher deli.

You are not the sandwich maker or the deli owner. You’re the waiter or the cashier. You bring out the sandwich, you do not choose the menu options.

The doctor has every right to listen to his conscience, and so do I.

Then find a job that will not require you to violate your scruples.

 

[Catholig]

Then find a job that will not require you to violate your scruples.

I think you should stop suggesting that people change their career based on their personal beliefs and convictions.

Catholig

 

[John_Kippley]

Congratulations for seeking advice. What you are asking is whether as a dispensing pharmacist you would be involved in material and/or formal cooperation. The idea of contacting the National Catholic Bioethics Center is a good one. Someone there should be able to help you make the necessary distinctions.

I have heard of only one situation for which the Pill sounded like good medicine. From a practical perspective, you might want to investigate the possiblity of working in the pharmacy of a Catholic hospital. if it is truly Catholic, you won’t be dispensing birth control formulations.

For more support for Humanae Vitae, visit the website in my signature.

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant: A Basis for Morality (Ignatius)
Natural Family Planning: The Question-Answer Book, a short, downloadable e-book available at
www.NFPandmore.org

 

[estesbob]

If you own the Pharmacy you have every right to refuse to fill prescriptions for anything you disaporve of. As an employee , however, you have to abide by the rules your employer sets. If you are concerned about filling prescritions for contraceptives you have two choice-find a phramacy that prohibits filling those prescritions OR find another line of work.

Let me give you an example. I refuse to do tax returns for people who have a w2 from Planned parenthood or any other abortion mill. My business-I can do what I want

Now lets assume one of my employees believes all Muslims are terrosits and refuses to handle any correspondence I have with the Mosque that is my cient. They are fired on the spot.

 

[estesbob]

I think you should stop suggesting that people change their career based on their personal beliefs and convictions.

Catholig

So should a vegetarian be allowed to refuse to ring up meat if they are a checker? Should a Muslim cab driver be able to refuse service to anyone who has alchohol in their luggage?

I am all for people standing up fr their beliefs-but in the case we are talking about they are asking their employer to stand up for their beliefs. Not too diffucalt when others take the heat for your decisions.

 

[Catholig]

So should a vegetarian be allowed to refuse to ring up meat if they are a checker? Should a Muslim cab driver be able to refuse service to anyone who has alchohol in their luggage?

I am all for people standing up fr their beliefs-but in the case we are talking about they are asking their employer to stand up for their beliefs. Not too diffucalt when others take the heat for your decisions.

Estesbob - I’m not entirely sure how to answer but I don’t think that these pharmacists should be forced to change their line of work simply because they don’t want to give out birth control, or EC. If their boss fires them - that’s his business (and right). At least one said she isn’t afraid of that. However I think that if we only had more catholics willing to stand up for the truth then our morality (and us) would be better accepted. It might bring about change. If we simply give in then - No Change.

Catholig

 

[Medfordknight]

‘Do no harm’ is not even in the Hippocratic Oath, which you probably didn’t take; and looking at the Oath of a Pharmacist, it does not leave you room to creatively interpret prescriptions. You can’t supply tylenol-3s in place of heart medication because the person seems to be in pain, and you can’t supply nothing in place of contraception. You are subservient to the doctor’s order.

Yes. You are not a free agent as the doctor is; you are his liaison. If someone wants contraception and the doctor does not prescribe it, they find another doctor, much like someone feeling like a ham sandwich does not go to a kosher deli.

You are not the sandwich maker or the deli owner. You’re the waiter or the cashier. You bring out the sandwich, you do not choose the menu options.

I don’t know what you do for a living, but allow me to explain this to you. A pharmacist is required to fill a prescription if he feels that it will not harm the patient. I cannot express to you how many times a pharmacist flat out refuses to fill a questionable script. This is usually due to a dosage that is out of line. The pharmacist calls the prescriber and expresses his or her concern. Many times the prescriber will change the prescription, other times they will not. If they can justify to me why they want what they want, I fill the script. If they do not or will not, I don’t. The patient is then free to find a pharmacist that will, much as they are free to find a new doctor, as you mentioned. This is because I am LEGALLY REQUIRED to follow up with prescribers regarding questionable prescriptions. I can be held liable for harm done to my patient by NOT calling and documenting my concerns with a prescriber. This action is referred to as an intervention, and happens many times per day. You may not agree with this, but I assure you that it is standard procedure.

The bottom line is this. A pharmacist is not a robot, doing everything they are told without question. It does not work that way. I have a professional obligation to ensure the safety of the people I serve. We use what is referred to as professional judgement. You cannot believe that a person with a doctor of pharmacy degree, which takes 6 years plus an extensive intership to earn, simply acts as a “waiter or cashier” in your above analogy. If you do believe it, then you are terribly misinformed about this profession.

 

[Mirdath]

The pharmacist calls the prescriber and expresses his or her concern. Many times the prescriber will change the prescription, other times they will not. If they can justify to me why they want what they want, I fill the script. If they do not or will not, I don’t. The patient is then free to find a pharmacist that will, much as they are free to find a new doctor, as you mentioned. This is because I am LEGALLY REQUIRED to follow up with prescribers regarding questionable prescriptions. I can be held liable for harm done to my patient by NOT calling and documenting my concerns with a prescriber. This action is referred to as an intervention, and happens many times per day. You may not agree with this, but I assure you that it is standard procedure.

I believe you. And I’m glad you guys double-check; but if the doctor says ‘yes, I prescribed birth control pills, no mistake there’, it’s distinctly not a ‘questionable’ prescription. Your professional judgment is about chemicals and dosages, not about morality.

 

[Ave_Maria_1]

I am a pharmacist who does NOT dispense birth control pills or Plan B. I have a conscience clause in place with the company I work for. As a tech you do not have the burden of responsibility for it is the doctor who prescribes and the pharmacist who dispenses. But if even to run the cash register for such purchases violates your conscience, I will suggest some alternatives:
home health, or nursing home or hospital pharmacy.

I began to have a serious ethical problem with the dispensing of birth control pills and their abortifacient properties some years ago. I spoke to six priests, and ex-priest and a moral theologian seeking to see what course of action to take. The moral theologian (Dr. Germaine Grisez) said I should seek another line of work. 5 of the priests and the ex-priests told me I could continue and my conscience was saying otherwise.

Finally at a conference I went to confession to Fr. Pablo Straub and told him my dilemma. He prayed and prayed and held on to that big Crucifix of his and finally opened his eyes and looked at me and said, “Our Lord would be pleased if you did not do that any more”. I knew it!!!

So I left retail pharmacy in 1998 and was unemployed a while. Then last year my job in an IV pharmacy came to an end and a pharmacist called me ask me to come work for him in a retail store and I told him my ethical situation. So I have limited work hours as I essentially do not work alone but on the busy days with others. I do not fill the BCs.

There are states and even the Congress who are seeking to not allow pharmacists and others to follow their consciences. They would take that freedom. For those who say that this is between a patient and a doctor only–consider what more is coming such as euthanasia, etc. I will NOT be a part of that!

Ultimately we answer to God and NOT to man. Follow your conscience!

Ave Maria!

 

[Medfordknight]

I believe you. And I’m glad you guys double-check; but if the doctor says ‘yes, I prescribed birth control pills, no mistake there’, it’s distinctly not a ‘questionable’ prescription. Your professional judgment is about chemicals and dosages, not about morality.

OK. You may have a point. I am sure that professional judgement does not cover morality. What then would we do about a moral situation? Look at it this way, a doctor chooses where he or she will practice. Nobody forces them to prescribe anything, or to become an abortionist. It follows that nobody forces a pharmacist where to practice. There are many different practice settings where a pharmacist would not have to face these issues. I guess a pharmacist in a retail setting would have to object to the filling of the script on a purely medical, and not moral basis.
Either way, this is a very interesting debate, with good points on either side.

 

[Mirdath]

OK. You may have a point. I am sure that professional judgement does not cover morality. What then would we do about a moral situation? Look at it this way, a doctor chooses where he or she will practice. Nobody forces them to prescribe anything, or to become an abortionist. It follows that nobody forces a pharmacist where to practice. There are many different practice settings where a pharmacist would not have to face these issues. I guess a pharmacist in a retail setting would have to object to the filling of the script on a purely medical, and not moral basis.

Yes, and if you can find one of those positions where you’re not faced with filling contraceptive prescriptions, then good for you! But generally, as a retail pharmacist, you have a job to do, and that can include filling prescriptions for drugs you may not like or approve of.