[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: It'll be here next kids: Canada seeks to rake away all rights of health care workers' conscience

Sun Aug 17 15:53:48 MDT 2008

*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 17 Aug 2008 AD

*Please vote for physican (and pharmacist) rights of conscience:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/03/07/4940306-cp.html

As of 17:52 EST on 17 Aug 2008:

*Do you believe physicians should have the right to refuse medical 
treatment if it is against their beliefs*
Yes

 30%
No

 66%
Undecided

 3%

Total Votes for this Question: 1014

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*Canadian Physicians for Life*
PO Box 1289
Richmond ON  K0A 2Z0
ph/fax: 613-728-5433
www.physiciansforlife.ca <http://www.physiciansforlife.ca>

*For Immediate Release*
**

August 15, 2008

***Proposed policy could severely limit freedom of Ontario physicians to 
practice according to conscience*
/(Ottawa)/ - In a letter today to the College of Physicians and Surgeons 
of Ontario, the president of Canadian Physicians for Life, Dr. Will 
Johnston, expressed concern over a draft policy relating to freedom of 
conscience and the lack of sufficient notice given by CPSO to all 
interested stakeholders that a consultation process, which officially 
ends today, has been underway since the end of June.

Canadian Physicians for Life is asking the College for a 90-day 
extension on the deadline "due to the importance of the issues at stake 
and the lack of opportunity interested stakeholders were given to 
comment on the proposal."

The draft policy, that CPL only learned of late yesterday, would appear 
to severely limit the freedom of Ontario physicians to practice 
according to their conscientious/religious beliefs. The College 
apparently posted the draft policy document, "Physicians and the Ontario 
/Human Rights Code/" on its website at the end of June and had set a 
deadline of today for input on the proposal.

In his letter, Dr. Johnston expressed surprise that the College would 
not have been more proactive in soliciting input on a policy that could 
have profound impact on both individual doctors and on the profession as 
a whole. CPSO does not appear to have issued a news release on the 
consultation process, and pro-life physicians have been taken by surprise.

Dr. Johnston wrote, "The College must have been aware that groups such 
as Canadian Physicians for Life -- which represents doctors from across 
Canada who respect the dignity of all human life, regardless of age or 
infirmity -- would have concerns with the College's view that "decisions 
to restrict medical services offered....that are based on moral or 
religious belief may contravene the [Ontario /Human Rights/] /Code/, 
and/or constitute professional misconduct."

"Refusal on conscientious or religious grounds to refer a woman for an 
abortion could be deemed professional misconduct under this new policy," 
Dr. Johnston said.

A similar requirement (that doctors must make abortion referrals 
regardless of their conscientious beliefs) was put forward in a July 
2006 guest editorial in the /Canadian Medical Association Journal/. It 
triggered such a firestorm of controversy, that the Journal was 
compelled to publish a letter from CMA's Director of Ethics stating that 
CMA policy did not require physicians to refer for abortions if it would 
violate their conscientious or religious beliefs.

Dr. Johnston concluded, "There could be serious problems with what the 
Ontario College is proposing and we need time to study the implications 
of this policy in detail. If doctors feel coerced into compromising 
their deepest convictions as a result of this policy, certainly that's a 
problem---not only for the integrity of physicians, but also for the 
welfare of their patients."

- 30 -

/CPSO's draft policy, "Physicians and the Ontario Human Rights Code" can 
be found at this link:/ 
http://www.cpso.on.ca/Policies/consultation/HumanRightsDRAFT_08.pdf

*For further comment, please contact:*
Will Johnston, MD, President
Canadian Physicians for Life
ph: 613-728-5433
email: info at physiciansforlife.ca <mailto:info at physiciansforlife.ca>

/Canadian Physicians for Life is an educational organization 
representing physicians who hold that reverence for every human life 
lies at the root of all medical tradition. Through the ages, this 
tradition has been expressed in the Oath of Hippocrates. It was 
rephrased in modern times in the Declaration of Geneva (1948), which 
says in part, "I will maintain the utmost respect for human life, from 
the time of conception; even under threat, I will not use my medical 
knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity."/ 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
PFLI PharmAid Center

pfli at pfli.org <mailto:pfli at pfli.org>
PO Box 1281
Powell, OH 43065-1281 USA
800-227-8359
www.pfli.org

PFLI supports pharmacist rights of conscience NOT to be forced to 
dispense or counsel for chemicals which violate their sincerely held 
religious, moral or ethical beliefs.  For more info see:
http://www.pfli.org/main.php?pfli=conscienceclausefaq

*** PFLI is the only pharmacy association which is exclusively pro-life.
It represents thousands of pharmacists and many lay supporters
in the USA, Canada and all around the globe. For membership info, key
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