The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has responded to a call for evidence by a House of Commons committee examining legislation on assisted dying.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed its Second Reading stage on 29 November 2024, and will now be considered by MPs in several committee sessions.

Whilst RPS has a neutral position on the principle of assisted dying, in a written submission it has urged the Bill Committee to reflect on several key issues, including:

• There must be no obligation for any pharmacist to participate in any aspect of assisted dying if they feel this is against their personal beliefs
• Pharmacists must be protected from prosecution should they choose to participate in the approved process for an assisted dying procedure
• Pharmacists should be able to ‘opt in’ to participating in aspects of assisted dying by completing the necessary training, rather than having to ‘opt out’
• Access to health professionals and appropriate safeguarding, including in rural and remote areas
• A person-centred approach to care, and improvements in palliative care, to allow equitable access for all patients diagnosed with a terminal illness
• Harmonisation of best practice and procedures should assisted dying be legalised.

In November, the RPS gave evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee at the Scottish Parliament as part of its inquiry into the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.