Religious beliefs should not be a barrier to patients’ needs

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has suggested a change to its standards that would place clients’ requirements above the religious convictions of pharmacists– and in doing so has angered spiritual groups representing health care specialists. Inning accordance with this report, Christian and Muslim groups say that the “significant” shift suggested by the GPhC, the independent regulator for pharmacy in Great Britain, may jeopardise pharmacists’ identity, autonomy and ability to easily work out expert judgement. The relocation, if authorized, would activate a modification in the pharmacist– patient relationship and a shift in favour of the needs of the patient. In future, pharmacists may no longer be able to count on referring a patient to another company in cases where they feel the …