Emergency Contraception works - make sure women can get it!

[DaveSZ]

http://prochoiceaction.org/campaign/EC_actforlove

[Sporadicus]

1. An Action Network Should Be Set Up

to warn women of pharmacies where fundie pharmacists deny emergency contraception on religious grounds. The last thing any woman needs is having to endure a lecture from a fundie - which wastes precious time.

[Warpy]

2. Fundie pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions

or sell legal, OTC medications need to be turned into the state board of pharmacists. They are NOT doctors. They do NOT get to decide which drugs are appropriate for anyone.

[Sporadicus]

3. Unfortunately, It's Legal in Some States

for pharmacists to deny emergency contraception to women due to opposition based on religious beliefs.

[MockSwede]

4. Not Doctors, Pharmacists

Don't know what 'fundie' is, probably don't want to, BUT:

On the contrary, it IS the pharmacists' licensed responsibility to assure the right person gets the right medication at the right dose at the right frequency for the right duration of time and for the right diagnosis. That includes refusing to fill a prescription; but I'm not going to go into explanatory examples of that here. Talk to your own pharmacist about that.

To the point about availability of emergency contraception:

ANY licensed medical professional, including pharmacists, have the legal right, always to decline to fill a prescription in their good judgment, even if the prescriber 'wants' them to have it. There must be good cause, however.

But in this case, a pharmacist also has the right to refuse to participate in provision of this medication because of their personal moral beliefs. Just like they do NOT have to fill oral contraceptives, which are the same medications as the 'morning after' tablets (just doubling up Ovral or Lo-Ovral dosage twelve hours apart for one day).

If the pharmacist refuses to fill such a medication on personal moral grounds, you'll find that (s)he will refer the patient to another pharmacist or facility so that the patient can obtain the medication.

This is nothing new or exciting in the realm of medical professionals. You will find nurses that work for obstetrician and gynecologists that will assist with all other procedures in the office or hospital but will not participate in any abortion procedures.

You will find physicians and nurses and pharmacists that will not participate in end-of-life procedures (aka euthanasia); as above, the professional obligations do not trump strong moral decisions. And having those convictions should not prevent them from referring the patient to another provider.

You will not find and medical, nursing or pharmacy board in the country which will handle this issue as presented without some other instigating factor.

Hope this clarifies some of pharmacy practice for you. If you'd like more information please web over to www.aphanet.org. Thank you.

[MockSwede]

5. Lecture

You won't get a lecture. And it is not just 'fundie' pharmacists, now that I know that that means.

Any healthcare professional can decline to participate in end-of-life treatments and will refer the patient to another provider as needed.

Maybe better served to find out which companies that own pharmacies refuse to stock the relevant emergency contraception medication, regardless of where the pharmacists working for them stand personally.