Is it ethical for a pharmacist to refuse to fill certain prescriptions?

Question

Some pharmacists are refusing to fill birth control & morning-after medications due to their religious beliefs.
Using this same logic, could a Christian Science believer refuse to fill ALL prescriptions?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5490-2005Mar27.html

http://demiorator.blogspot.com/2005/03/pharmacist-ethics.html

"There are pharmacists who will only give birth control pills to a woman if she's married. There are pharmacists who mistakenly believe contraception is a form of abortion and refuse to prescribe it to anyone," said Adam Sonfield of the Alan Guttmacher Institute in New York, which tracks reproductive issues. "There are even cases of pharmacists holding prescriptions hostage, where they won't even transfer it to another pharmacy when time is of the essence."

Pharmacists are PAID to fill prescriptions. If they had a problem with that, they should have never taken the job.
No - not everyone has the option to go to another pharmacy as one person answered. They shouldn't have to anyway.

Answer 1

Absolutely not. They are paid to do a job, all personal beliefs should be left at the door.

Answer 2

I don't know that it is ethical, but it is legal. A pharmacist can refuse to fill any medication for any reason. If I were a pharmacist I don't think I would tell my reason if it were due to religious beliefs as that would certainly bring "heat" into my professional life that would not be necessary. But some people feel really strong about this and that is one thing our country is founded on, is your right to religious freedom and speech. Rather than argue, just take your business elsewhere, I am sure another pharmacy would be glad to have it.

Answer 3

A pharmacist can refuse to fill a presccription. there are legal paraqmeters for this. As to religeous reasons I dont know but if they suspect the prescription is a forged one, or the person is going to sell them or is an addict they can.. A very few doctors are all too quich to writhe a prescription. Most either you need it or you dont get it. Some are not as particular.. Thank god they are a very small number

Answer 4

I agree with the last comment you made - if a pharmacist has a problem filling prescriptions they are free to find another line of work.

And if they think birth control is a sin, they are screwed up.

Answer 5

It falls far short of satisfying the standard of care outlined in the code of ethics for pharmacists.

They take an oath; if they're not willing to do that job, they should get another job.

Almost all the states, unfortunately, have a law that allows health care providers to refuse treatment on moral grounds; but pharmacists are not included in the law.

Answer 6

It is not ethical to force your religious belief on someone else. Those types of people should not be pharmacists. Religion is a hobby, nothing more. Your religious views should not be imposed on others. That's exactly what we claim we're at war over: Protecting our way of life.

Answer 7

That is wrong & they should be fired However there is a nationwide shortage of pharmacists in retail Many go into research where the big bucks are ie my brother

Answer 8

The logic does not apply because the Christian Scientist would chose to use or not use drugs for him/herself, not for others.

A Christian Scientist is unlikely to work as a pharmacist but if they did, they would simply fulfill the job requirements.

Answer 9

Some states allow them to do so. You have to go elsewhere. I disagree with this. If tpharmacies, as medical service providers, want a business permitthey should be required to provide service in a non discrimatory manner.

Answer 10

Well personally I would like to see them stop filling psychiatric prescriptions, however if a person is hooked on these drugs they can have toxic seizures coming off of them. I think that they do not actually have the right to refuse to fill any prescription if they agree with them or not.