The Scottish Parliament has rejected plans for pharmacists to play an assisted suicide role after a “passionate” debate.

MSPs rejected a bill to legally allow healthcare professionals to assist with suicides in “certain circumstances” by 82 votes to 36 on Wednesday (May 27). 

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) confirmed in January that it had drafted plans for Scottish pharmacists to assist with suicides if they were legalised, but Scottish health minister Shona Robison told C+D yesterday (May 28) that MSPs had “ultimately decided not to proceed” with the bill.

The parliamentary debate had been “respectful” and MSPs had voted “in accordance with their personal views”, she stressed.

The government’s Health and Sport Committee - which oversaw the debate - had raised a number of concerns about the bill, including “insufficient safeguards, unresolved issues around timescales and question marks around the precise role" of professionals involved in the process, Ms Robison said.

“There were also concerns that the bill could have resulted in people feeling at increased pressure to end their lives,” she added.

No further plans to change law

The government had no further plans to change the law on assisted suicide and would instead “focus on providing the best possible end-of-life care in every situation”, she added.

RPS Scotland told C+D it “neither supported nor opposed the bill”, and had previously called for a clause to be included to ensure pharmacists could conscientiously object to assisting in a suicide.

The Assisted Suicide Bill for Scotland was introduced in 2013 by MSP Margo MacDonald. If it had been passed, it would have allowed patients with a “terminal or life-shortening illness” to request help from a medical practitioner to end their life.

A spokesperson for Patrick Harvie, the MSP in charge of the bill, told C+D in January that if the bill was passed then the RPS would construct a database of pharmacists who were trained and willing to participate.

A C+D poll in February suggested that half of pharmacists would not assist with a suicide even if it was legalised.
 

What do you think about the MSPs' decision?

We want to hear your views, but please express them in the spirit of a constructive, professional debate. For more information about what this means, please click here to see our community principles and information