NEW VOICES: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Opposes Participation in Executions

In a press release on June 9, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) announced its pol­i­cy affirm­ing ​“that phar­ma­cists, as health­care providers who are ded­i­cat­ed to achiev­ing opti­mal health out­comes and pre­serv­ing life, should not par­tic­i­pate in cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment.” ASHP rep­re­sents 40,000 mem­bers, includ­ing phar­ma­cists who serve as patient-care providers in acute and ambu­la­to­ry set­tings. The orga­ni­za­tion also includes stu­dent phar­ma­cists and phar­ma­cy tech­ni­cians. The pol­i­cy was approved by the organization’s chief pol­i­cy-mak­ing body, the House of Delegates, dur­ing ASHP’s Summer Meetings this week in Denver. ​“This pol­i­cy makes it clear that ASHP oppos­es phar­ma­cists’ par­tic­i­pa­tion in cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment,” said ASHP Chief Executive Officer Paul W. Abramowitz, Pharm.D., Sc.D. (Hon.), FASHP. ​“We are proud that our mem­bers as patient care providers who are ded­i­cat­ed to achiev­ing opti­mal health out­comes have tak­en this strong, ethical stance.” 

(Press Release, ASHP, June 9, 2015). See Lethal Injection and Statements from oth­er med­ical orga­ni­za­tions and drug manufacturers.