"The subject of this book is conscientious objection in health care and the principal aim is to provide an ethical analysis of conscience-based refusals by physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Before considering ethical issues, however, it is essential to understand what conscientious objection is, which calls for conceptual analysis. A person engages in an act of conscientious objection when she refuses to perform an action, provide a service, and so forth on the grounds that doing so is against her conscience. In the context of health care, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists engage in acts of conscientious objection when they: 1) refuse to provide legal and professionally accepted goods or services that fall within the scope of their professional competence, and 2) justify their refusal by claiming that it is an act of conscience or is conscience-based"--Provided by publisher.

Three approaches to conscientious objection in health care: conscience absolutism, the incompatibility thesis, and compromise -- Ethical limitations on the exercise of conscience -- Pharmacies, health care institutions, and conscientious objection -- Students, residents, and conscience-based exemptions -- Conscience clauses: too much and too little protection.