Medical Conscience (Installment 1) Katelyne Tatum

Medical Conscience

Medical conscience advocates that medical professionals can refuse to perform a service for a patient when it goes against their moral belief unless the patient’s life is at stake. Since, the Roe v. Wade verdict many conscience laws have been enacted. Starting with providing abortion-related exemptions to healthcare professionals if abortion or sterilization services go against their religious or moral beliefs. Some states have also enacted “right of refusal” laws for pharmacists allowing them to refuse to fill a prescription that goes against their religious or moral beliefs, such as, birth control or plan B. Many of the conscience laws deal with abortion, sterilization, and stem cell treatments, but with the ever-changing healthcare system and advancements in medicine these laws will continue to expand.

While a medical professional can refuse to participate in a procedure that goes against their religious or moral beliefs that professional still has a duty to ensure the care of the patient. Therefore, if a medical professional refuses to provide a service then they are obligated to allow that patient to seek medical care elsewhere without interference; refusing to give a referral, stepping between the patient and another doctor, or making a patient feel uncomfortable or ashamed goes against the patient’s right to care.

While healthcare workers should have the right to be exempted from services or procedures they do not believe in the right of the patient to have access to care also needs to be taken into consideration. Some laws, such as, “right of refusal” for pharmacist conflict with other laws; when a pharmacist refuses to fill birth control or emergency contraception it interferes with a person’s right to privacy because she is denied the right to decide to use contraception. It also can be seen as unequal treatment of men and women. Another consideration to be taken is access to care; for low-income or rural areas if a professional refuses to provide a service, let’s say an abortion, then that patient may have no other way to receive care in the area. Though a procedure may go against a healthcare workers morality, can that same person also say it is moral to leave a patient with no access to care?

               Medical conscience is good for healthcare professionals because it allows them to keep their morality while providing care to patients. But we also have to consider that there may be instances where these laws hinder a patient’s right to care. And those healthcare professionals may have to put aside their reservations for a procedure if there is no other way for a patient to receive care they need.