An amended Polish resolution on the use of conscience clauses on abortion has come into force, requiring hospitals to have a doctor on site
Languages: Français | Deutsch
An amended Polish resolution on the use of conscience clauses on abortion has come into force, requiring hospitals to have a doctor on site able to perform an abortion in certain circumstances – a significant change in a country with one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.
Hospitals will now have to ensure that at least one of their doctors is able and willing to carry out abortions in the cases permitted by law, such as when the life or health of the mother is in danger or when the pregnancy is the result of rape.
The change is aimed at cracking down on cases of doctors abusing the conscience clause, resulting in women being unable to terminate a pregnancy even when it is legal.
“Due to the abuse of the so-called conscience clause by some medics, women are often unable to exercise their right to a legal termination of pregnancy,” it was said in the amendment’s justification.
Failure to provide abortions will now result in a penalty for the hospital, including possible termination of its contract with the National Health Fund (NFZ), which means a reduction in state reimbursement for medical procedures and treatment.
The company released a statement defending its pharmacist's right to decline to fill a prescription on ethical grounds. The state pharmacy board plans to investigate whether Arizona law was followed.
When 35-year-old Nicole Arteaga walked into a Walgreens in Peoria, Ariz., last Wednesday, she was nine weeks pregnant. But, she says, her doctor had told her that her baby's development had stopped. She wrote in a detailed Facebook post that her doctor said she "ultimately [would] have a miscarriage."
Arteaga says the doctor gave her two options: a surgical procedure or a prescription medication, misoprostol. Misoprostol is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for what is called a medical abortion.
Misoprostol, according to PubMed, prevents stomach ulcers and can cause miscarriages.
Arteaga opted for the medication. But she says that when she went to pick up the pills, the pharmacist refused to give them to her, citing his own ethical reasons.
Arizona is one of six states that allow pharmacies or pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions on religious or moral grounds, according to the National Women's Law Center.
Arteaga wrote in her post, which has been shared more than 36,000 times: "If you have gone thru a miscarriage you know the pain and emotional roller it can be. I left Walgreens in tears, ashamed and feeling humiliated by a man who knows nothing of my struggles but feels it is his right to deny medication prescribed to me by my doctor."
After she was denied service at the pharmacy, she says, she received an email notification saying her prescription was ready for pickup at another location across town. She was able to get the drug there.
Walgreens did not immediately respond to phone calls from NPR, but in a statement posted on its website on Monday, the company announced that it was looking into the incident and that its representatives had reached out to Arteaga.
Walgreens pharmacists are allowed to "step away from filling a prescription for which they have a moral objection," according to the statement, and in this situation, the pharmacist was "required to refer the prescription to another pharmacist or manager on duty to meet the patient's needs in a timely manner."
The Arizona State Board of Pharmacy announced Monday that it plans to investigate what happened in Arteaga's case. The AP reports that the board wants to look into whether the Walgreens pharmacist actually followed the Arizona law:
"Arizona is one of multiple states with a 'conscience clause' law that allows health care providers to refrain from assisting in abortion, abortion medication or emergency contraception. The law says medical professionals like pharmacists must state their objection in writing."
Kam Gandhi, the executive director of the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, told the AP that the state's "conscience clause" law needs to be clarified.
If there becomes a publicised ‘legitimate’ conscience clause at the RNC the Republican party surely wouldn’t survive?
Either the Republican delegates use it and shun 40% of their voters (at least in their primaries) and decide to re-orientate their party or they don’t use it and redefine their party as whatever you want to label it is trump represents with both options being formative and thus alienating to one segment of voters? ?
The anti-Trump movement growing from within the RNC delegates is pushing to add a “conscience clause” to the convention rules to allow delegates to vote for the candidate that best aligns with their conscience, presumably not Donald Trump. Even if such a “conscience clause” is introduced at the Republican convention, the strategy will simply not work. (more…)
I’m really pissed off right now. You know, tumblr, in my country it is legal for a doctor to refuse carrying some particular stuff, like for example abortion, or prescribing contraception, just because “morals”. Lately a girl I know has had some hormonal problems and in this particular case she requires contraception. Turns out, that there are two fuckin doctors in whole Warsaw carrying such practices, and they have bad opinions. Poland is 1# bullshit country.
#LGBT - #UKIP pride ban: Ban the organisation, but let their people march.
I remember my first pride event – it was 1998 in London and we all gathered at Speakers’ Corner, Hyde Park. I was fifteen and bouncing around in black leggings and hi-tops, rocking a pink hoodie and matching lipstick with a little too much schnapps in my system than was advisable, and we marched together, proud of who we were, facing down anyone from the sidelines who would turn their noses up at…
Ireland's conscience clause - Section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Acts
Katherine Donnelly wrote in the Irish Independent: "Mr McMahon said Section 37.1 of the Employment Equality Acts caused real anxiety to teachers whose family status, sexual orientation or gender identity may be perceived as being in conflict with the ethos of a school. Under existing law, religious-run schools are not considered guilty of discrimination if they take action to stop an employee from "undermining the religious ethos of the institution". While job applicants may not be asked about their sexual orientation at an interview, it has allowed schools to not hire certain teachers or to stop people from advancing. According to Mr O Riordain, scrapping Section 37.1 would be a constitutional issue and the most the Government could do was to amend it. The minister had hoped to have announced his plans for changes to the legislation by Easter." See here: http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/education/gay-teachers-suffering-real-anxiety-over-religious-law-31122706.html
In which one of our real life politicians compares gay people to the Shankill Butchers.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Shankill Butchers, they were a loyalist gang in Belfast who carried out mostly sectarian murders and killed at least 23 people.
