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An amendment to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill that explicitly states that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians would be under no obligation to supply substances to be used in assisted dying has been approved in a House of Commons vote.
In a vote held on 16 May 2025, following a debate, the amendment to the assisted dying bill — part of what is known as ‘new clause 10’ — passed with 288 votes in agreement and 239 votes against.
The amendment to the Bill proposed by Kim Leadbeater MP — who first introduced the Bill in October 2024 — states: “No registered pharmacist or registered pharmacy technician is under any duty to participate in the supply of an approved substance to a registered medical practitioner for use in accordance with section 23.”
Speaking during the House of Commons debate ahead of the vote, Leadbeater said: “The Bill was always clear that: ‘No registered medical practitioner or other health professional is under any duty… to participate in the provision of assistance in accordance with this Act’, but new clause 10 expands that protection. It broadens the people to whom it applies and the functions to which it relates.”
The amendment also said that “no registered medical practitioner is under any duty” to act as one of the two doctors that would be required to be involved in the assisted dying practice.
In addition, a further amendment, which proposed that employers who had chosen not to participate in assisted dying could prohibit their employees from providing such assistance while working for that employer, did not pass.
Ahead of the vote, Leadbeater said: “An employee will always be bound by their contract of employment, but flexibility is needed, as many health and care professionals work for multiple employers.”
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), which has a neutral stance on assisted dying, has previously advocated for pharmacy staff’s exemption from the assisted dying process.
Commenting on the vote, Claire Anderson, president of the RPS, said: “Following our evidence to the [Public] Bill Committee and engaging with MPs and the government, I’m pleased that the Bill now explicitly recognises pharmacists’ right to conscientious objection.
“This is a welcome step in protecting pharmacists’ freedom of conscience.
“Pharmacists should not unknowingly be involved in supporting an assisted dying procedure, directly or indirectly, without their consent.”
More amendments to the Bill are due to be debated in the House of Commons on 13 June 2025, before receiving a third reading.
If supported at that stage by MPs, the Bill will move to the House of Lords.
