ANDOC (National Association for the Defense of the right to Conscientious Objection) was founded in June 2001 with the purpose to assume the defense of the fundamental right of conscientious objection biomedical staff.
Following the legalization of the drug called “Levonorgestrel”, known colloquially the term of “morning after pill” by the Ministry of Health, and the order issued in June 2001 by the Ministry of Health declaring must-tenure in pharmacies “morning after pill”, a large group of pharmacists and health, and doctors of Andalusia and the rest of the country, implement this initiative as a way to defend their fundamental right to conscientious objection ideological, ethical or religious.
The association was created for two main reasons:
A-To provide legal cover for all those associated qu injured consider their right to conscientious objection in the context of their professional practice.
B-bioethics Invest in training of our professionals through seminars, courses, meetings and disseminate respect for conscientious objection among healthcare users.
Although initially driven by pharmacists, ANDOC was born with the aim to accommodate all health professionals, and recognize the right to objection, now with the DDA, tomorrow with euthanasia, embryo manipulation, defense of marriage and family, etc. At present, we have several hundred members, mainly health professionals, in over 30 provinces in Spain.
The basic objectives of ANDOC are:
– Protection of the fundamental right to conscientious objection to any health professional (Article 16.1 Spanish Constitution)
– Free review of ethical and moral problems for defining the status, rights and obligations of medical personnel in their professional work.
– Recognition of ethical principles aimed at respect for life, health and dignity of the person, in accordance with the ethical standards of the health professions
Over the past ten years has developed a ceaseless activity to spread its fundamental objectives, through its partners, legal advisory work, press releases, articles, attendance at forums and more. There has been an important social base in several Spanish provinces, and prompted the inclusion of recognition of conscientious objection in several different codes of conduct adopted by colleges of pharmacists in our country (Madrid, Granada, Jaén, etc), and especially , has taken a decisive step for the Recognition legal pharmaceutical conscientious objection to the judgment of the Supreme Court of April 23, 2005, which supported the possibility of conscientious objection in prescribing and dispensing pharmaceuticals. This decision resolves the appeal filed against the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Government of Andalusia, which includes, as minimum stock in Pharmacies, the morning after pill.
Today, part of ANDOC several hundred Spanish health professionals (especially pharmacists and doctors). Our goal is to broaden our scope to other areas (education, research, public service, etc.., Where does need their advocacy of a fundamental right is that of conscientious objection to laws and practices against the that one might object consciousness
In November 2011 we held in Seville (Spain), the Third National Congress of ANDOC
June 2012</span>
