Mark R Wicclair
Extract
Contrary to what Lawrence and Curlin (2007) suggest, it is not primarily disagreement about the nature of “the conscience” that underlies the controversy about whether and when health professionals should be allowed to refuse to provide services that violate their ethical beliefs. Rather, the primary source of disagreement is over the professional obligations of physicians, pharmacists and other healthcare providers and how to resolve conflicts between those obligations and healthcare professionals’ interest in maintaining their moral integrity.
Wicclair MR. The Moral Significance of Claims of Conscience in Healthcare (Conscience in Medicine). Am J Bioeth. 2007;7(1):30-31.