Judge: State can't make druggists sell Plan B contraceptive [View all]

[cleanhippie]

Washington state may not force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the state's true goal is to suppress religious objections by druggists — not to promote timely access to the medicines for people who need them.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton heard closing arguments earlier this month in a lawsuit that claimed state rules violate the constitutional rights of pharmacists by requiring them to dispense such medicine. The state requires pharmacies to dispense any medication for which there is a community need and to stock a representative assortment of drugs needed by their patients.

Elaine Rose, CEO of Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, said the issue was never about Plan B specifically but about the rights of patients.

"Really, this is a blow to access for all patients," she said.

"The real issue is when a person walks into a pharmacy with a prescription for a legitimate, legal medication, whether they are going to have that filled by the person behind the counter," Rose said. Under this ruling, it appears that any pharmacist or pharmacy can say they have an objection to dispensing a particular drug, she added. "Where is this going to stop?"

In his ruling, Leighton noted that the intervenors in the case included two HIV-positive individuals "concerned that the success of Plaintiffs' claims could result in the denial of lawfully prescribed and medically necessary drugs to combat their condition...."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017568248_planb23m.html

When is this nonsense going to stop?