Health-care workers speak up for conscience rights

The B.C. Catholic



An ethical pharmacist has gained the praise of the local Catholic Physicians’ Guild.

Cristina Alarcon received the group’s St. Camillus award during a reception after the annual White Mass Oct. 21. Dr. Julia Bright, who presented the award on behalf of the guild, called Alarcon a “pharmacist of integrity.”

In 2000, Alarcon came head to head with her licensing college when she refused to dispense abortifacient drugs. “Early in her pharmacy career, Cristina realized that her vision for excellent and ethical health care would conflict with growing anti-life and anti-Catholic sentiment.”

She began lobbying for conscience rights, gained a masters in bioethics, and became the manager of a local pharmacy. Her efforts eventually got her to the ethics committee of Vancouver Coastal Health and to the chair of the ethics advisory committee of B.C.’s College of Pharmacists.

“We must not be afraid to get involved and say what we believe,” Alarcon said after receiving the award.

She gained conscience protection for pharmacists in B.C. after eight years of seemingly fruitless presentations at the college’s annual general meetings. Alarcon has also made an impact on personal lives of people she has met.

One year ago, a woman and her healthy young son came into her pharmacy for a prescription. The woman asked her: “Were you here 10 years ago?” Alarcon confirmed that she had been. The woman smiled and said: “This is your son!”

That woman had come into Alarcon’s pharmacy for a “morning-after” pill. The pharmacist refused. “I explained why: ‘If you are already pregnant, I cannot help you destroy that beautiful life. It’s a beautiful life.”

The woman left in tears. She later asked a physician for an abortion. The doctor refused and referred her to another doctor.

“By the time of the referral, she was thinking about the words: ‘This is a beautiful life. I cannot help you destroy a beautiful life.’ She decided to keep her baby.”

The guild presents two awards at its annual celebration. The St. Camillus award is given to a notable health-care worker who is not a physician. The other award, named after St. Gianna Molla, is given to a physician every year.

This year’s recipient, who was unable to be present, was ophthalmologist David Neima.

“I don’t know how he has the time to see patients because he belongs to a plethora of charitable organizations and he is constantly doing good works,” said Dr. Howie Bright.

Neima and Father Tien Tran, pastor of St. Matthew’s Parish, together founded Medical Aid for Vietnam. Neima travels there for at least one medical mission each year. He is also a board member of Operation Eyesight Global, an overseas charity that has performed 62,000 cataract surgeries on people in India. Neima runs free vision assessments for refugees and free eyeglass clinics for people in the Downtown Eastside.

“This generous man is a worthy recipient of the St. Gianna Molla award.”

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, celebrated the White Mass and was present for the award presentations.

“I want to thank the guild for taking an active part in Catholic health care. It’s so important. There are so many issues on the table and there’s so much we can learn from each other.”

Doctor Jim Lane said conscience rights and freedom of religion continue to be a big issue with health professionals.

“In B.C., our College of Physicians and Surgeons has said we have protection as physicians. We do not have to refer and we do not have to do assisted suicide.”

However, the Ontario college says doctors in that province must refer patients if they are unwilling to provide assisted suicide themselves. The Federation of Catholic Physicians, the Christian Medical and Dental Society, and Physicians for Life are opposing this in court.

“This is a very important legal case for freedom of religion. We have to stay united and we have to support what’s going on in Ontario.”

Editor’s note: This article has been amended since its initial posting