Pharmacists Should Not Participate in Abortion or Assisted Suicide

More potent abortifacient drugs have come to market and assisted suicide has recently been legislated in several countries. In this context, the debate over whether health care professionals should participate in abortion and assisted suicide has intensified. Pharmacists must now decide where they stand when asked to terminate a life. The author examines both abortion and assisted suicide, and discusses the role of pharmacists in providing related services. He believes abortion and suicide to be morally and ethically indefensible and incompatible with the professional pharmacy oath. It is the pharmacist's duty as a health care professional to offer alternatives as part of pharmaceutical care and not be afraid to solicit help from other health care professionals. Training is needed to enable practitioners to respond with care and compassion to patients in such situations.