Some Drug Stores Refuse to Fill Emergency Birth Control Prescriptions
A Doctor sends a prescription to a Pharmacist for birth control. The Pharmacist does not agre with birth control, so s/he refuses to fill the prescription. Is that okay?
This is not an isolated case. Many Pharmacists are taking it upon themselves to start handing out moral lessons in place of prescriptions. One woman in Texas had to drive 22 miles to get her prescription filled. Many Pharmacists are even refusing to give the unfilled prescription back to the customer so that they can get it fill elsewhere, causing them to have to go back to their doctor.
Doctors prescribe medications, Pharmacists fill them. The end. Or is it? Do they get to pick and choose who gets what medications?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2005-04-04-birth-control-access_x.htm
7 Comments:
I believe that it is completely up to the customer to decide if they want birth control. The pharmacist's job is to fill the prescriptions for the customers and not let their personal opinion interfere with who should and should not get birth control. I am very surprised that this is really happening. I have never heard of this before, but I find it very interesting!
I agree that the use of birth control should be up to the customer, not the pharmacist. Pharmacists get paid to fill people's prescriptions. They do not get paid to give moral advice or their personal opinions on whether they support the medicine they are giving out. Coming from a small town with only one pharmacy within 20 miles, I could see how much of an inconvience it would be if pharmacists chose to not fill a prescription. I actually had a case kinda similar to this when I went to Walgreens here in Kalamazoo with my friend. She was filling a prescription from Planned Parenthood and the pharmacist decided to lecture us on how he didn't support planned parenthood and how wrong he felt abortion was. While he still filled her prescription, we definately did not need a moral lecture from him. Just from that experience, I can definately see how widespread this could be.
I would agree that the pharmacist has no right to revoke perscriptions because they do not agree with it. If it is legal, the patient wants it, and a doctor prescribes it, then the pharmacist must fulfil the prescription. Maybe they can question the doctor about it in private. I really do not think that they should be able to individually select what they hand out and to whom.
I understand why someone would have moral conflict with giving out birth control if they were strongly religious or had a bad experience themselves. However, I don't believe they should be able to lecture those who decide to use these particular methods. Also, they could pick a career where they wouldn't be around such issues on a day to day basis.
I think it is ludicris that type of behavior goes on. I personally find that both unprofessional and unacceptable. In the case of the Walgreens lecture, I would like to know if anyone made a complaint. I am sure if this guy's boss knew this was happening, he would agree with the opinions of the blog responses and find that behavior unacceptable. People who are getting prescriptions are doing so because they are sick or otherwise in need of some sort of help that often goes over and above the medication they are taking. Someone chiming in with their ethical opinion will often aggrivate such a situation.
The thing that's bothering me is that just because a woman is taking the pill, it doesn't mean she's going around and having a ton of care free sex. The pill does prevent pregnancy, yes. But it also regulates a woman's period. It decreases cramps and personal discomfort. There's a lot more to it than the sexual aspect. Granted, I'm sure plenty of women enjoy the pill for that reason. I wish I knew them because, quite frankly, I'm a very lonely man. But anyway, for a pharmacist to automatically make assumptions about a woman, to lecture her or to deny her a perscription without knowing anything about her or having any regard for her reasoning or her motivations, is flat out wrong. You can't make those kinds of assumptions based off a single slip of paper. And regardless of your beliefs, you should always be willing to respect that other people aren't always going to agree with you. Communicate your beliefs, sure. Question other peoples, definitly. But do not inconvenience their lives because you're not in agreement.
My sister recently had to go through a quite a hassle to get birth control, which she has been on for many years for medical reasons. It's ridiculous.
Even aside from the fact that birth control pills have multiple uses, though, is the fundamental right for a woman to make the moral decision herself. No group has the right to regulate an individual's personal life.
It's also another example of how control is exercised over women and their personal decisions in ways that cannot be excercised over men.
Post a Comment
<< Home