Comments on: Pharmacists Refusing to Give Birth Control Pills

By: Larry Metcalf

Larry Metcalf — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 20:31:42 +0000

With the over crowding of our planet, we need to do something to ease the dramatic increase in population.

Besides that, I ponder.. Who in their right mind would want to bring a child in to a world like we have today?

The United States is far too over burdened with just the gross influx of immigrants, both legal and illegal.

It has to stop somewhere.

By: dw

dw — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 18:58:20 +0000

There have been a couple of cases out in the West where a pharmacist won't fill a scrip and the nearest drugstore that will is more than 30 miles away. That's about the worst of it. It's a problem, but it's not anywhere near the pervasive scope the WaPo makes it out to me. I mean, the Seattle Times covered it two years ago, and then I think there were only 4 or 5 pharmacists in the state that were refusing to fill bc for one reason or another. One difference between Washington and other states, though, is that pharmacists out here can prescribe birth control without requiring a doctor's visit. A women who wants to go on The Pill can walk up to any pharmacist in this state and, with counseling, receive it. Some druggists out here object to this on top of all their anti-BC issues. And, you know, it shouldn't be a problem. If a pharmacist doesn't want to fill a prescription, they have that right. But it would be nice to require the pharmacy to put a sign in 2" high red letters in their front window that said "WE DO NOT FILL BIRTH CONTROL PRESCRIPTIONS."

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:25:36 +0000

Ryan: Yes, I agree that theft is a bad thing.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 15:54:06 +0000

I agree that it's not too difficult to go to another pharmacy. I used to live in a town with no traffic lights and even it had a pharmacy, as did another town less than 10 miles away. However, that doesn't help you if the pharmacist won't let you take the prescription to another pharmacy. This isn't just about a pharmacist denying to fill a prescription. There are also pharmacists who are refusing to transfer the prescriptions so the patients can go elsewhere to fill the prescriptions. It's one thing for a pharmacist to not fill a prescription. However, it is simply wrong for a pharmacist to not only not fill a prescription but to also hold a prescription hostage and prevent the patient from going to another pharmacist to get the prescription filled. Don't fill the prescription if you don't want but the pharmacist should have no right to prevent the patient's ability to go elsewhere to fulfill the will of the doctor and patient.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 15:50:19 +0000

I agree that it's not too difficult to go to another pharmacy. I grew up in a town with no traffic lights and even it had a pharmacy, as did another town less than 10 miles away. However, that doesn't help you if the pharmacist won't let you take the prescription to another pharmacy. This isn't just about a pharmacist denying to fill a prescription. There are also pharmacists who are refusing to transfer the prescriptions so the patients can go elsewhere to fill the prescriptions. It's one thing for a pharmacist to not fill a prescription. However, it is simply wrong for a pharmacist to not only not fill a prescription but to also hold a prescription hostage and prevent the patient from going to another pharmacist to get the prescription filled. Don't fill the prescription if you don't want but the pharmacist should have no right to prevent the patient's ability to go elsewhere to fulfill the will of the doctor and patient.

By: Charlie on the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Charlie on the Pennsylvania Turnpike — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 15:39:22 +0000

I live in rural Pennsylvania (my home address begins R.R. #nn). I know of only one pharmacy that is within 5 miles of my home that ISN'T Eckard, RiteAd or CVS. This doesn't take into account the 4 or so grocery stores that have their own in-house pharmacy. So in a 5 mile radius there are at least 6 pharmacies.

Unless and until you see a trend where Chain-Stores stop distributing drugs, this is really a non-issue.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 15:29:56 +0000

Even to the extent that birth control pills constitute "health care," the pharmacists here aren't "deciding" it. They're merely not selling specific pills. Unless we get to the point where some significant number of people are unable to get medicine, I just don't see a regulatory problem. Businesses that won't sell their customers what they want cease operating.

By: Charlie Pewterson

Charlie Pewterson — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 15:21:57 +0000

So now we have my health care decided, not by my doctor but by someone who feels he/she has the right to impose their idea of right and wrong on me. Today it's birth comtrol pills, what's next. Suppose "they" decide tomorrow that certain diseases and sent from God, or that your disease is your own fault. Would they then have the right to refuse digoxin, insulin, or say, serequel, an antipsychotic? It may sound far fetched now but so did the idea of birth control pills until it actually happened. Where will it stop. Will your medication be next? What about medications for HIV/AIDS? Do "they" have a right to refuse to fill those prescriptions? Remember the little blurb, they came for the Jews and I said nothing.....and many other groups in sucession, and when they came for me there was nobody left to protest. Whose medication is next?

By: Meezer

Meezer — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 14:22:04 +0000

Ditto. I live in an area of Indiana where many of the towns have one stop sign (not light), where there are strong religious congregations of all kinds, and I've never heard of anyone who couldn't get bc.

By: Just Me

Just Me — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 13:15:07 +0000

I live in a town with two red lights.

There are three pharmacies withing 10 minutes of my home. I really doubt there are women out there who can't get their bc pills or a MAP.

By: Gay Orbit » Refusing to Dispense Birth Control

Gay Orbit » Refusing to Dispense Birth Control — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] spense birth control pills, all one would have to do would be to start going to ABC Drugs. Ok James, then how about a doctor that refuses to give blood transfusions because he’s a Jeh [...]