Group cautions members against partipating in legal executions

A group representing pharmacists who prepare medications for patients said Tuesday that its members should not participate in creating lethal injections for inmates facing legal execution.

The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists announced its board of directors adopted the position recognizing that each pharmacist has the right to determine whether to dispense a medication based upon his or her personal, ethical and religious beliefs. Still, the group's official stance is that members should not be involved in the preparation of medications used for lethal injections.

"It is important to first understand the origin of this issue: states are turning to compounded preparations for this purpose because the companies that manufacture the products traditionally used have unilaterally decided to stop selling them for use in executions," the association said in a statement. "IACP believes that a national discussion needs to be conducted on whether a pharmaceutical manufacturer can restrict the use of FDA-approved products only to purposes that adhere to their corporate values."

Nine states have recently turned to compounding pharmacies for lethal injections due to the drug shortage, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes the practice. The shortage has become so acute that Utah recently reinstated firing squads for executions, the Associated Press reported Monday.