Feministing has an alarming post up about the rising number of pro-life pharmacies and what their refusal to stock birth control means for women. According to the Washington Post: The pharmacies are emerging at a time when a variety of health-care workers are refusing to perform medical procedures they find objectionable. Fertility doctors have refused to inseminate gay women. Ambulance drivers have refused to transport patients for abortions. Anesthesiologists have refused to assist in sterilizations.
The most common, widely publicized conflicts have involved pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control pills, morning-after pills and other forms of contraception. They say they believe that such methods can cause what amounts to an abortion and that the contraceptives promote promiscuity, divorce, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and other societal woes. The result has been confrontations that have left women traumatized and resulted in pharmacists being fired, fined or reprimanded.
And now they've started forming their own businesses, which don't have condoms or birth control pills, but do have Viagra.Feministing's Jessica adds that these groups are going way beyond opposing abortion:
The Pharmacists for Life International site, for example, (in addition to having an incredibly sophisticated web design, ahem) links to anti-choice nuts like Jill Stanek, who argues that abortion providers and Chinese people eat fetuses (!), and The Pill Kills campaign. These pharmacies are beyond pro-life - they're pro-lying and anti-woman. And we shouldn't allow them in our communities.
She's right.
These renegade pharmacists should certainly be free to vote their beliefs and lobby their congresspeople and use all legal, responsible means to bring about changes to the laws surrounding women's rights and drug availability, but if they're going to call themselves pharmacists they're going to have to do their job. And that means filling prescriptions for birth control pills and not presuming that they know better than patients and their doctors. If they're not willing to do their job, they should go into a different line of work.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 5)
31. There’s no question something gets killed with abortion whether one considers it worthy of life like a human being or unworthy like crabgrass.
Greg at 1:11AM on Jun 18th 2008
32. Being prochoice is neither tolerant nor intellectual. When you don't support someone's right to grow a brain, think, or live, you are against intellectual thought
Greg at 1:13AM on Jun 18th 2008
33. Terrorists kill 4000 Americans every day. They’re not prosecuted, they’re not jailed, they are abortion doctors
Greg at 1:13AM on Jun 18th 2008
34. A problem occurs when you live in a red-neck state and none of the pharmacies want to carry contraceptives.
EL at 1:20AM on Jun 18th 2008
35. Many good arguments are offered.
It should be as simple as a pharmacist turning to a colleague and saying, "Will you fill this for me, please?" Or for a physician to ask a colleague to write a prescription or order a proceedure.
In the case of a privately owned pharmacy which refuses to provide certain products or services, you can vote with your wallet.
If I owned a pharmacy and a single customer walked out because the only available pharmacist refused to fill a valid prescription, I would fire that pharmacist.
Captain Negative at 3:10AM on Jun 18th 2008
36. I am a medical doctor in a third-world country.In the last few months,I have seen several cases of teen pregnancy in the small private hospital where i work.One case particularly touched me.It was the case of a 15 year old lass who came with her mom,and when informed of her daughter's pregnancy,the mom burst into tears,saying"what are we going to do"
Now I am opposed to abortion on demand,and if i were an american,I would be one of those in the pro-life camp.Yet,I wonder if we make life too difficult for young women in the world today.We tell them 'don't get pregnant',while we do not tell our boys why they should not get a teenaged girl pregnant.Plus,we,unfortunately live in a sex saturated world.With this scenario,I think that contraceptives should be made available to everyone who needs them,and I think that we Christians should stop giving the pill a bad name.There was sex without responsibilities before the pill and nothing is about to change.Besides,cont-raceptive acceptance might offer the answer to the unwanted pregnancy problem.
However,obviously,some people still believe thatcontraception is bad.So what do we do.We can't force them to sell the pill(that comes under restriction of liberties)We just simply go to the next shop,or order on line.Finally,abstinence is not the harsh shit it is cracked out to be.We all abstain from something.People abstain from smoking so as not to get lung cancer.People abstain from booze,so as to avoid liver and heart disease.And people abstain from sex so as not to get a pregnancy that they might have to abort.
So the summary is this.If they won't sell,go to the shop that will.
Let us not villify those who refuse to sell.They are concerned about the teen who is sleeping around,and who is risking her health(read aids)
And finally.It is time to end the name calling from both sides and let us find some middle ground on this.It is there.We are just not seeing it.
God bless.
mad african christian. at 7:21AM on Jun 18th 2008
37. Contraception is the foundation of the culture of death. It is the cause of promiscuity and the huge abortion rate. It has led directly to the normalization of homosexuality and “gay marriage”. Sex is both unitive and procreative. Contraception creates an anti-life climate by making the sexual act purely about pleasure. It treats pregnancy as an unpleasant side effect. Sex should respect all aspects of a person, especially their fertility. Humane Vitae, the encyclical by Pope Paul VI prophetically anticipated all of the problems associated with the use of contraception. Natural Family Planning (This is not the Rhythm Method) is a wonderful alternative to contraception. For couples that desire to avoid pregnancy, it uses a woman’s natural periods of fertility. They learn self-control and mutual respect. Women learn about their bodies. They learn to enjoy each other in non-sexual ways. When they come together, it is more meaningful. I encourage everyone to read, “Theology pf the Body” and “Love and Responsibility” by Pope John Paul II. These books are being studied in the Atlanta Archdiocese and around the world. Millions of young people are rejecting contraception and rediscovering the wisdom of the Church.
janesophie1 at 9:08AM on Jun 18th 2008
38. I am a pharmacist and I do fill all of these Rxs; wnated to say that right off the bat.
I would venture to guess that this is just another example of a few isolated cases getting all the attention. I have never met another pharmacist who ever refused to sell birth control (OCs). I have met one or two that don't want to sell "day after pills" or post stimulant abortifaciens; but they do anyway!
I am vehemently opposed to abortions but I would never impose my opinion into anyone else's life. I think our system has failed miserably b/c our society has spent an actual fortune on education to prevent STDs and unwnated preganancy BUT WE HARDLY SEE ANY RESULTS. People can get FREE birth control pills and all the FREE condoms they want but the pregnancy rate is still high.
My father taught me about all these issues when I was 13 years old. He must have done a good job B/C I never got anyone pregnant (other than the two times my wife and I actually tried) nor have I ever had a STD. Thanks dad!!!!
GV EWANCIO at 9:35AM on Jun 18th 2008
39. Janesophie...contraception is not the cause of promiscuity....your God is. We are animals that are driven to procreate...and to have sex in order to procreate, and to make ourselves feel good. Your God did that, and now these pharmacists are going against the will of your God. It's not about girls who can't keep their legs together, it's about a universal problem....unwanted pregnancy. There is no reason why I should have a stream of babies...and I refuse to let you, or some religious pharmacist turn me into the mother of 12 kids.
I will not go to a pharmacy that limits my choices.
abbot at 9:43AM on Jun 18th 2008
40. "There is no reason why I should have a stream of babies...and I refuse to let you, or some religious pharmacist turn me into the mother of 12 kids".
abbot
I am glad my mother was completely open to life. I am the 12th of 13 children!
janesophie1 at 10:37AM on Jun 18th 2008
41. OB/Gyn doctors prescribe birth control pills as if they were candy...they don't want to practice real medicine to find out what is wrong. I should know, they have fed me hormones for years until they finally did a hysterectomy. Today, my body is a mess because of them. As for pharmacists refusing to provide birth control pills, I say good for them...no one should force anyone to do anything contrary to their conscience, and neither the state nor the federal government has the right to make them provide them. Quit complaining and go somewhere else. These pharmacists are few and far in-between, and Ms. Calhoun is just blowing smoke to attract readers.
LisaS at 10:56AM on Jun 18th 2008
42. What's next, they don't give you your needed cancer medications because your cancer must surely be God's will? Think it can't happen? These people have no right to deny prescription medications of any kind, they take a test to get their license to practice and are sworn to uphold the law. Any pharmacist that refuses to dispense a Doctor prescribed medication for any reason should have their license immediately suspended. These idiot's have know idea why the medication is being ordered by a Physician, woman use hormone replacement therapy, younger woman are given the pill for multiple reasons beside birth control. There is no excuse, if they don'twant to do the job they are sworn to do lawfully, then they should look for a new line of work. What's next, denying medication of any type to anyone who is not a member of their "religion"? Put them all out of business, this is a Democracy, religion does not trump the laws of our society, and if it does , and they don't have to obey the law of our country then why should anyone obey any law!
The Dude at 11:00AM on Jun 18th 2008
43. I have a friend, a PharmD, who is a devout catholic. She thinks these "renegade" pharmacists are NUTS and that they have no right to deny medical treatment to anyone based on their particular moral attitude. But then, my friend happens to actually practice the ways of Jesus. I am merely her agnostic friend...
web jones at 11:04AM on Jun 18th 2008
44. As if we don't have enough problems to deal with!
Now comes "PRO-LIFE PHARMACIES" with a TOTALLY RADICAL idea! I'm dumbfounded and desperately need a potent drink and it's not a glass of milk! HELP!
LuLu at 1:10PM on Jun 18th 2008
45. The refusal of particular licensed individuals to fill perscriptions based upon their own religious beliefs is not a question of their "right" to impose their brand of religion on others, it is a question of whether they are entitled to the privilege of their licenses. That's right, a license is a "privilege" not a "right," as others seems to think. That is why this particular problem calls for governmental intervention. Would you defend a businessman because he refuses to allow minorities in the store? The state would be justified in revoking his business license for violating Federal law. The state would be equally justified in revoking these pharmacy licenses. If I were a judge being asked to rule on such a case, I would make it a condition of reinstatement that these pharmacists go sit in the neglect & abuse court for a month before returning to work.
LT
Lisa Thaviu at 1:10PM on Jun 18th 2008