The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill has passed a stage one vote in the Scottish Parliament. The Bill, which has been introduced to the Scottish Parliament as a Private Members Bill by Liam McArthur MSP, was backed by 70 MSPs, with 54 MSPs voting against.

This means that the legislation will be subject to further scrutiny by MSPs. During stage 2, MSPs will bring forward amendments to the draft legislation, which will then be debated and voted on. Once the amendments have been voted on, the whole Bill will then be voted on again, this being known as the final stage 3 vote.

RPS holds a neutral position on assisted dying. RPS will continue to take an active role in the development of the legislation to ensure that amendments are tabled which would enable pharmacists to take part, or not take part in the process, depending on their individual religious, moral or ethical beliefs. RPS has already been highly active, submitting written and providing oral evidence to the Health Committee on all these points and more. You can read and watch our extensive evidence, here.

RPS is of the opinion that it is vital that an opt-in clause is written into the Bill.  Pharmacists should only be taking part in this process, whether directly or indirectly, where they are comfortable to do so. This would not only support individual healthcare professionals but would also ensure the best patient care and experience.

During the stage 1 debate, some MSPs highlighted the importance of ensuring a robust conscientious objection clause was in place for healthcare professionals. The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in their Stage 1 report on the Bill noted that the wording of the conscientious objection clause is insufficiently clear and noted that “it will be important to give further attention to the wording of this clause, to ensure it provides legal clarity and certainty for all parties involved in the assisted dying process”.

RPS will be encouraging MSPs to put forward an amendment at stage 2 which provides pharmacists with the opportunity to opt into the assisted dying process. We are of the belief that an opt in system will provide all pharmacists, whether they wish to be involved or not, with the best protection and clarity about their role in the process. We look forward to further articulating these views to MSPs and stakeholders across Scotland in the coming months.

If you would like to get in touch with the RPS Scotland team about Assisted Dying, we can be contacted, here:

https://www.rpharms.com/scotland/scotland-team