Email Letter to Washington State Board of Pharmacy, provided by Washington State Catholic Conference.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OR / AND -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Governor Christine Gregoire Office of the Governor P.O Box 40002 Olympia, WA 98504 360.902.4111 _________________ Date Dear Governor Christine Gregoire: I am writing to you to state my SUPPORT for a Conscience Clause for WA pharmacists. Unfortunately, many are still confused about this issue. The REAL issue is a conscience issue. It is about protecting pharmacists’ basic human right to exercise their conscience. The United States has long recognized the right of its citizens to exercise their conscience in the face of laws that contravene their religious beliefs. Individuals do not lose this right once they enter the health profession. In order to fully protect pharmacists, this civil right must extend to pharmacists who may be requested to dispense a drug to which they conscientiously object. We have a tradition and a body of constitutional law that have protected the right to act in accord with one's conscience. Legal recognition of the civil rights of pharmacists in no way infringes on the rights of patients. Access to health care is a right that I strongly support. Patients do have a right to receive health care services, but they do not have a right to force any particular individual to provide them. Forcing pharmacists to choose between conscience and government places them in the untenable position of violating the civil law or violating their conscience. I ask that you respect the religious freedom founded in our law and enact a conscience clause for pharmacists. I thank you in advance for your willingness to consider my concerns. Sincerely, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OR / AND -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Saxe, Executive Director & Asaad Awan, Board Chair Board of Pharmacy Department of Health P.O. Box 47863 Olympia , WA 98504 360.236.4829 Fax: 360.236.4818 _________________ Date Dear WA State Board of Pharmacy: I am writing to you to state my SUPPORT for a Conscience Clause for WA pharmacists. Unfortunately, many are still confused about this issue. The REAL issue is a conscience issue. It is about protecting pharmacists’ basic human right to exercise their conscience. The United States has long recognized the right of its citizens to exercise their conscience in the face of laws that contravene their religious beliefs. Individuals do not lose this right once they enter the health profession. In order to fully protect pharmacists, this civil right must extend to pharmacists who may be requested to dispense a drug to which they conscientiously object. We have a tradition and a body of constitutional law that have protected the right to act in accord with one's conscience. Legal recognition of the civil rights of pharmacists in no way infringes on the rights of patients. Access to healthcare is a right that I strongly support. Patients do have a right to receive health care services, but they do not have a right to force any particular individual to provide them. Forcing pharmacists to choose between conscience and government places them in the untenable position of violating the civil law or violating their conscience. I ask that you respect the religious freedom founded in our law and enact a conscience clause for pharmacists. I thank you in advance for your willingness to consider my concerns. Sincerely, |
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