Topic: Conscience Rule
Lynann's photo
Fri 02/27/09 03:15 PM
I have strong feelings about professionalism, religion and nanny states. This doesn't come as a surprise to most regular readers of these forums I am sure. That's why the article below caught my eye.

I worked in a pharmacy filling scripts for many years as well.

The so called "conscience rule" would allow pharmacist and doctors among other professionals to not just refuse to fill scrips for things like birth control but would allow health care professionals to not mention procedures and options they found morally objectionable.

This is bull$hit. An individual seeking medical advice should be allowed to know all their options and then make an informed decision based on their circumstances and their own moral compass.

Seriously, where does it end?

If I have a script for Ritalin in my hand is okay to tell the parent I am not filling it because I think they are crappy parents who would rather medicate their kid than invest the necessary time to parent?

If I have a viagra script in my hand can I refuse to fill it because I think it's crap that insurance pays to get it up but won't pay for birth control?

If I have a insulin script in my hand can I refuse to fill it because I think the bearer ought to get off their a$$, lose some weight and think about what they eat?

If I have an antibiotic in my hand should I be able to refuse it because I just know they wouldn't have a condition requiring treatment if they were smart enough to wash their hands, watch out who they slept with or took care of their environment properly?

If I have a script in my hand for lice shampoo in my hand can I refuse to fill it because I believe in home schooling and just know the kid wouldn't be infested if they weren't in a public school?

Medical professionals are there to serve not to parent or judge.

Disclaimer: I don't believe most of those for instance things above. They appear here for the sake of argument.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama administration may rescind 'conscience rule'
Officials say the move seeks to clarify rules for health care workers

By Noam N. Levey | Washington Bureau
February 27, 2009

WASHINGTON — Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration Friday will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows health-care workers to deny abortion counseling or other family-planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials.

The rollback of the "conscience rule" comes just two months after the Bush administration announced it last year in one of its final policy initiatives.

The new administration's action seems certain to stoke ideological battles between supporters and opponents of abortion rights over the responsibilities of doctors, nurses and other medical workers to their patients.

Seven states, including California, Illinois and Connecticut, as well as two family planning groups, have filed suits challenging the Bush rule, arguing it sacrifices the health of patients to religious beliefs of medical providers.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has reported cases such as that of a Virginia mother of two who became pregnant because she was denied emergency contraception. In Texas, the group said, a rape victim had her prescription for emergency contraception rejected by a pharmacist.

Supporters say the rule protects doctors who should not be forced to prescribe treatments such as birth control pills or the so-called morning-after pill.

President Barack Obama — a longtime supporter of abortion rights — has been expected to reverse a number of Bush-era policies restricting access to family-planning services.

But he also has been sensitive to the explosiveness of the reproductive-rights issue.

Last month, without ceremony Obama overturned a ban on U.S. funding for international aid groups that provide abortion services.

The move by the Department of Health and Human Services to throw out the conscience rule is being made equally quietly as the budget plan is made public.

Officials stressed Thursday that the administration is looking for input from people across the ideological spectrum before it finalizes the rollback after the standard 30-day comment period.

"We believe that this is a complex issue that requires a thoughtful process where all voices can be heard," said one official, who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Officials said the administration will consider drafting a new rule to clarify what health-care workers can reasonably refuse for patients.

For more than 30 years, federal law has allowed doctors and nurses to decline to provide abortion services as a matter of conscience, a protection that is not subject to rulemaking.

In promulgating the new rule last year, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said it was necessary to address discrimination in the medical field.

He criticized "an environment in the health-care field that is intolerant of individual conscience, certain religious beliefs, ethnic and cultural traditions and moral convictions."

Officials said the Obama administration's goal is to make the rule clearer.

nlevey@tribune.com

MirrorMirror's photo
Fri 02/27/09 03:20 PM

I have strong feelings about professionalism, religion and nanny states. This doesn't come as a surprise to most regular readers of these forums I am sure. That's why the article below caught my eye.

I worked in a pharmacy filling scripts for many years as well.

The so called "conscience rule" would allow pharmacist and doctors among other professionals to not just refuse to fill scrips for things like birth control but would allow health care professionals to not mention procedures and options they found morally objectionable.

This is bull$hit. An individual seeking medical advice should be allowed to know all their options and then make an informed decision based on their circumstances and their own moral compass.

Seriously, where does it end?

If I have a script for Ritalin in my hand is okay to tell the parent I am not filling it because I think they are crappy parents who would rather medicate their kid than invest the necessary time to parent?

If I have a viagra script in my hand can I refuse to fill it because I think it's crap that insurance pays to get it up but won't pay for birth control?

If I have a insulin script in my hand can I refuse to fill it because I think the bearer ought to get off their a$$, lose some weight and think about what they eat?

If I have an antibiotic in my hand should I be able to refuse it because I just know they wouldn't have a condition requiring treatment if they were smart enough to wash their hands, watch out who they slept with or took care of their environment properly?

If I have a script in my hand for lice shampoo in my hand can I refuse to fill it because I believe in home schooling and just know the kid wouldn't be infested if they weren't in a public school?

Medical professionals are there to serve not to parent or judge.

Disclaimer: I don't believe most of those for instance things above. They appear here for the sake of argument.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama administration may rescind 'conscience rule'
Officials say the move seeks to clarify rules for health care workers

By Noam N. Levey | Washington Bureau
February 27, 2009

WASHINGTON — Taking another step into the abortion debate, the Obama administration Friday will move to rescind a controversial rule that allows health-care workers to deny abortion counseling or other family-planning services if doing so would violate their moral beliefs, according to administration officials.

The rollback of the "conscience rule" comes just two months after the Bush administration announced it last year in one of its final policy initiatives.

The new administration's action seems certain to stoke ideological battles between supporters and opponents of abortion rights over the responsibilities of doctors, nurses and other medical workers to their patients.

Seven states, including California, Illinois and Connecticut, as well as two family planning groups, have filed suits challenging the Bush rule, arguing it sacrifices the health of patients to religious beliefs of medical providers.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has reported cases such as that of a Virginia mother of two who became pregnant because she was denied emergency contraception. In Texas, the group said, a rape victim had her prescription for emergency contraception rejected by a pharmacist.

Supporters say the rule protects doctors who should not be forced to prescribe treatments such as birth control pills or the so-called morning-after pill.

President Barack Obama — a longtime supporter of abortion rights — has been expected to reverse a number of Bush-era policies restricting access to family-planning services.

But he also has been sensitive to the explosiveness of the reproductive-rights issue.

Last month, without ceremony Obama overturned a ban on U.S. funding for international aid groups that provide abortion services.

The move by the Department of Health and Human Services to throw out the conscience rule is being made equally quietly as the budget plan is made public.

Officials stressed Thursday that the administration is looking for input from people across the ideological spectrum before it finalizes the rollback after the standard 30-day comment period.

"We believe that this is a complex issue that requires a thoughtful process where all voices can be heard," said one official, who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Officials said the administration will consider drafting a new rule to clarify what health-care workers can reasonably refuse for patients.

For more than 30 years, federal law has allowed doctors and nurses to decline to provide abortion services as a matter of conscience, a protection that is not subject to rulemaking.

In promulgating the new rule last year, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said it was necessary to address discrimination in the medical field.

He criticized "an environment in the health-care field that is intolerant of individual conscience, certain religious beliefs, ethnic and cultural traditions and moral convictions."

Officials said the Obama administration's goal is to make the rule clearer.

nlevey@tribune.com

flowerforyou I think the conscience rule is a load of bull****!flowerforyou If they dont want to give people their medicine then they can get outta the business:smile:

no photo
Fri 02/27/09 04:31 PM
Thumbs up!! drinker

yellowrose10's photo
Fri 02/27/09 05:16 PM
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