-
this is just sad...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Tilly Cowan and Meade Harris
The latest religious voice to emerge in US society is that of the pharmacist.
A growing number of pharmacists across America are refusing to dispense birth control and the morning-after pill, because it goes against their religious and moral convictions.
This development has led to state legislatures across the country taking action, either to protect women\'s rights to obtain birth control or to uphold the pharmacist\'s right to refuse it.
The issue has become heated in several states, which already have laws allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, including birth control pills.
In Arizona, the House of Representatives recently approved legislation that would put into place a conscience clause for pharmacists who have objections to handing out birth control.
But in April, Illinois Governor Rod R Blogojevich filed a rule requiring Illinois pharmacies to dispense all such prescriptions immediately and without question.
\'Humiliated and traumatised\'
"More and more pharmacists do not want to hand over the birth control package and feel that it is within their rights to lecture women about their morals," said Judy Waxman of the National Women\'s Law Centre in Washington DC.
At a Brooks pharmacy in Laconia, New Hampshire, Suzanne Richards, a 21-year-old single mother with a 3-year-old son, was denied the morning after pill because of the pharmacist\'s religious convictions.
He told Richards he would not fill her prescription because "it would end the fertilisation process of the egg in the embryo" and, based upon his religious beliefs, it was wrong.
It was Saturday night in this rural town - all other pharmacies were closed, leaving Richards without an option.
Richards says she felt "humiliated and traumatised", and was too frightened to approach another pharmacist the next day, allowing the 72-hour limit for taking the pill to pass.
\'A chemical abortion\'
While it turns out that Richards was not pregnant, Waxman considers this a breach of professional responsibility.
"The sad thing is that a very small and very loud minority is trying to thwart women from getting their basic health care needs," she said.
Pharmacist Pitt Philips from North Carolina defends the decision of pharmacists to refuse to dispense the morning-after pill.
"While they have the right to obtain the prescription, as an individual I always have my own rights not to fill it."
Supporters of pharmacists\' rights, like Steven Aden of the Christian Legal Centre for Law and Religious freedom, believe that "in no case should a health care worker do something that violates their conscience".
Phillips said: "In essence, I would be causing a chemical abortion, and as a Christian, I am impelled not to do anything that destroys life."
The debate, between the women\'s right to birth control and the pharmacist\'s right to choose which prescriptions to fill, will only intensify further if the Food and Drug Administration approves the sale of the morning-after pill without a prescription.
If this contentious decision is approved, it is likely to make pharmacists the primary dispenser, intensifying the dispute further.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4425603.stm -
-
this jackass should have his license revoked. religious crusaders **** me off more than just about anything else.
-
-
One thing I don\'t understand is where is this separation of Church and State that this nation was founded upon. What happened to our rights as individuals. I don\'t F\'n care what someone else thinks is healthy for me or not. What, are they going to stop selling rubbers to, because as far as religion goes there against that to. How about hand cream and adult novelties so no one can spank it anymore. Fascist radicals need to worry about what\'s happening in there home and not mine.
Stepping Down, Sorry, but for a free nation we definitely take it in the pooper -
-
Unbelievable
-
-
wow..what a bunch of sexist right winged jesus freaks probably plotting to bomb an abortion clinic..
it\'s really scary to think that these people can still have "their" laws having to do with sex/religion/pharmaceutical drugs in 2005. the people that won\'t give women birth control/morning after pills are adding onto a problem that really degrades women. as a girl, i\'m really not about the baby-mama thing..kids are great, but i don\'t wanna have any until i\'m ready to and that\'s a choice i should be able to have as a **** person. i should be allowed to have access to any kind of medication or birth control i need whenever i want. i\'m not even 20 and i\'ve already been to a few baby showers for friends MY AGE because of their religious/family\'s moral values. it makes me sick that these **** christian **** would rather see a woman ruin her life than make a situation so much easier. i could go on for a really long time but i\'ll stop.
-
-
-
OK here we go. I think the pharmacist\'s have every right to refuse to fill prescriptions. The reason I say this is due to the inordinate amount of prescription drug abuse. The law is in place to protect pharmacists from being compromised by someone w/ an illegal prescription. As for having access to any kind of medication/birth control find another pharmacy. It is ridiculous that these pharmacist\'s are refusing to dispense a prescribed medication but it is in their right to do so. I find it funny that people forget abt the pharmacist\'s right to have beliefs also.
As for kids having kids well that\'s another thread where the reason we have adoption agencies can be debated. -
-
Quote from: leith
I find it funny that people forget abt the pharmacist\'s right to have beliefs also.
it\'s their job, leith. sure, you can have beliefs, but they\'re your beliefs. your job is to serve the public, who may not share these beliefs. what business do you have to say what someone else can/can\'t do?
to me, this is the equivalent of a Jewish Waiter refusing to serve food because it isn\'t Kosher. -
-
"abortion (pills) for some, and miniature american flags for others"
-
-
Quote from: davepeckQuote from: leith
I find it funny that people forget abt the pharmacist\'s right to have beliefs also.
it\'s their job, leith. sure, you can have beliefs, but they\'re your beliefs. your job is to serve the public, who may not share these beliefs. what business do you have to say what someone else can/can\'t do?
to me, this is the equivalent of a Jewish Waiter refusing to serve food because it isn\'t Kosher.
No Doubt -
-
Quote from: davepeckQuote from: leith
I find it funny that people forget abt the pharmacist\'s right to have beliefs also.
it\'s their job, leith. sure, you can have beliefs, but they\'re your beliefs. your job is to serve the public, who may not share these beliefs. what business do you have to say what someone else can/can\'t do?
to me, this is the equivalent of a Jewish Waiter refusing to serve food because it isn\'t Kosher.
wow... as a student of pharmacy, and having been employed in a pharmacy for almost 6 years, i\'d have to say this article really pisses me off...
... its not about the morals behind pharmacy, its about doing your damn job.... besides oral contraception isn\'t just for prevention of pregnancy -- women take horomone replacements for many other reasons (prevent seizures, etc...)... so the pharmacist\'s moral interventions are just plain ridiculous -- do your damn job....
we do, as pharmacists, have the right to refuse any prescription...and of course it upsets me to see these kids coming in literally every 2 weeks for a morning after pill -- but who are we to judge? we give them their medicine and send them on their way, no questions asked. that\'s the whole philosophy behind pharmacy as i\'ve been exposed to.... we try to give the patient as much information/guidance as we can... but that\'s our boundary... -
-
Quote from: Stephengencs
"abortion (pills) for some, and miniature american flags for others"
rotfl :lol: "and always twirling, twirling towards freedom!" -
-
Quote from: princesscaspianQuote from: davepeckQuote from: leith
I find it funny that people forget abt the pharmacist\'s right to have beliefs also.
it\'s their job, leith. sure, you can have beliefs, but they\'re your beliefs. your job is to serve the public, who may not share these beliefs. what business do you have to say what someone else can/can\'t do?
to me, this is the equivalent of a Jewish Waiter refusing to serve food because it isn\'t Kosher.
... its not about the morals behind pharmacy, its about doing your damn job.... besides oral contraception isn\'t just for prevention of pregnancy -- women take horomone replacements for many other reasons (prevent seizures, etc...)... so the pharmacist\'s moral interventions are just plain ridiculous -- do your damn job....
:thumbsup: thank you pharmacesstcaspian.
-
-
Quote from: leith
OK here we go. I think the pharmacist\'s have every right to refuse to fill prescriptions. The reason I say this is due to the inordinate amount of prescription drug abuse. The law is in place to protect pharmacists from being compromised by someone w/ an illegal prescription. As for having access to any kind of medication/birth control find another pharmacy. It is ridiculous that these pharmacist\'s are refusing to dispense a prescribed medication but it is in their right to do so. I find it funny that people forget abt the pharmacist\'s right to have beliefs also.
As for kids having kids well that\'s another thread where the reason we have adoption agencies can be debated.
yeah..pharmacists don\'t need to give every kid ritalin, i agree with that one. but while i respect your opinion, it isn\'t a pharmacist\'s right to refuse a woman birth control. sure they have beliefs and that\'s great, but i don\'t really care. if i need some medicine that i went to the doctor and had prescribed for me, they had better give it to me.
as for giving kids up for adoption, i don\'t think i would be down with carrying a baby for 9 months and then giving it away to a stranger..adoption is great for people who can\'t concieve but the thought of having to give away a baby to someone else is something i wouldn\'t be able to handle. -
-
Quote from: Stephengencs
"abortion (pills) for some, and miniature american flags for others"
Ever hear of a lyricist names Sage Francis, he\'s got a tune called Make Shift Patriot, good stuff. I\'m liking a lot of the underground political hip hop. if your looking for something new and interesting check him out, local Rhode Islander. -