Doctors targeted in first ever national campaign against French pharmaceutical company; Archbishop Ward's attack on 'interference' with nature

Boycott against abortion pill makers
by Joanna Moorhead CATHOLIC doctors are to be asked to boycott all drugs manufactured by Roussel Uclaf, the pharmaceutical company which this week secured a British licence for its abortion pill RU 486.
The boycott, which is being organised by anti-abortion groups Life and SPUC (the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children), is thought to be the fist of its kind ever run in this country. Similar action in the United States has, pro-lifers claim, deterred Roussel Uclaf from introducing the controversial drug there. RU486, which is also known as mifepristone, procures an abortion without hospitalisation — women are seen three times on an outpatient basis.
Roussel, which already markets the drug in France, applied last year to the Department of Health for a licence allowing its use in Britain. Pro-lifers said this week that the government had "fasttracked" the drug through official paperwork.
Catherine Francoise, of SPUC, said doctors would be asked not to pescribe drugs made by Uclaf and Hoechst, the parent company. "Obviously if there's only one drug which will cure the patient and it's made by Roussel. that's different. We're not asking anyone to die over this. But in many cases there are other preparations available which would do the same thing," she said.
"It is still possible to stop this drug coming into Britain. What we have to do is make the company realise that they will be affected if it comes here," she said.
Doctors who agree to take part in the boycott will be advised to tell Roussel that its company representatives will not be welcome at their surgeries.
Leading article, page 4
The 1,000-strong Guild of Catholic Doctors has been approached by SPUC, and has agreed in principle with the proposed action. However, there have been some fears that Roussel may take legal action in the face of the boycott, and Dr Peter Doherty of the guild said that his organisation's backing could not be given until SPUC's lawyers had approved the plans.
"We have told SPUC we are willing to take part in the kind of boycott they are suggesting," said Dr Doherty. "We would prescribe alternative preparations to those manufactured by Roussel or Hoescht, which would mainly involve cardiological preparations, diuretics and drugs which treat diabetes."
In no way, said Dr Doherty, would patients' safety be put at risk. "We would only boycott drugs if there was something just as good available from another firm," he said.
The boycott would be publicised through the guild's quarterly, and the guild's master, Dr Michael Dulake, would write individually to all members asking them to take part, said Dr Doherty. "We have members throughout the medical profession, in all specialities. Many of them would be very sympathetic to this boycott idea, and of course they will pass the word on to other colleagues."
Life will also be publicising the action among the 2,000 or so anti-abortion doctors it has on its computer. In addition, it is also drawing up a list of Roussel and Hoescht products which members of the general public could boycott. "The list is likely to include cosmetics, garden horticultural products and overthe-counter medical products," said Keith Davies of Life.
"We are in touch with prolife groups in other parts of the world on this. We're planning a global campaign against this company."