Statement: RPS opposes the Assisted Dying Bill in Scotland
Published: 13 March 2026
This was published when the organisation was the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society is neutral on the principle of assisted dying, but not on the process. Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been involved in the legislative process since the Bill was first introduced to the Parliament.
During this time, we have strongly advocated for the rights of pharmacists who may, or may not, wish to take part in assisted dying. We have submitted written and oral evidence to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and met with the Bill’s sponsor Liam McArthur and his team on multiple occasions. We suggested amendments to be tabled at every possible stage of the process to strengthen the legislation and advised MSPs on those proposed amendments to ensure they were fully informed before voting on them.
The final Bill, which will be voted on 17 March, will not contain vital protections for pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals, who may wish to conscientiously object to taking part in the assisted dying process. This is despite Royal Pharmaceutical Society tabling robust amendments at both Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the process which, had MSPs voted for them, would have provided these vital protections.
Firstly, Section 18, which describes vital protections on conscientious objection for pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, has been removed from the Bill entirely. The proposal is to add this back into the Bill once it is passed via a Section 104 order. Royal Pharmaceutical Society has previously set out why we are of the belief this is inadequate and inappropriate, in this joint position statement signed by seven Royal Colleges and professional bodies across Scotland, including Royal College of General Practitioners and The Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Furthermore, Section 15 (1A), which would have ensured that a registered pharmacist supplied the substance for use in the process, was removed from the Bill at Stage 3. This removes an extremely important safeguard on the supply of the substance, and the Bill is now silent on this critical process. There is now an outstanding question as to whether pharmacists would be able to conscientiously object to supplying the substance, given the fact that this process is not described anywhere in the legislation.
In addition, several amendments which were tabled, and which would have clarified what the role of a pharmacist would be when accompanying a doctor or nurse during an assisted death, were voted down at Stage 3. This leaves uncertainty around the role of pharmacists in the assisted dying process. In our view, this is confusing to patients, carers, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. The legislation enables the pharmacist to be present at an assisted death, but without the authority to support the process with their expertise.
Given our serious concerns, Royal Pharmaceutical Society is opposed to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. We encourage MSPs to carefully consider this statement ahead of the final vote on the Bill on 17 March.
