Dutch pharmacist refuses to serve trans people due to religious beliefs
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A pharmacist in Nieuwegein refuses to provide medication to trans people citing conscientious objections. Mirjam Sombroek van Doorm, Professor of Law and Health, says in ‘NRC’ newspaper that all patients are entitled to equal treatment.
The pharmacist from Nieuwegein says that due to his religious beliefs, he has conscientious objections. As a result, he refuses to provide various forms of care, including euthanasia drugs, contraception, and transgender or abortion care. As far as is known, it has not previously occurred that a pharmacist in the Netherlands has so publicly refused care on religious grounds.
The professional code of the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association (KNMP) states that pharmacists are allowed to refuse certain drugs, such as euthanasia and abortion medication, on the basis of conscientious objections. At the same time, the same code prescribes that patients may not be refused and must always be diverted elsewhere.
If a pharmacist refuses to provide care, this cannot lead to the patient having no alternative. 'Hanging a note on the door or a message on a website saying “I won't do this” isn’t enough,' says Mirjam Sombroek van Doorm. 'Patients shouldn't be discriminated against. So, if you are a pharmacist who does not want to provide care to trans people because of conscientious objections, you must ensure the patient is not left out in the cold.'
More information?
Read the full article in NRC (€, in Dutch)