Why are US pharmacies allowed to refuse to fill women's birth control prescriptions?

Question

Today, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) applauded Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Chris Shays (R-CT) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) for introducing the “Access to Birth Control (ABC) Act.” The act addresses the growing and troubling trend of pharmacy refusals, protecting women's access to birth control at pharmacies and guaranteeing they will receive prescriptions and over-the-counter products in-store, without discrimination or delay.

Here's Planned Parenthood's press release about the "ABC" act and why it is needed:
http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0606-05.htm

Here's US women's first-hand accounts of being refused birth control at pharmacies nationwide:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/birth-control-access-prevention/pharmacy-refusals-6510.htm

Why do US pharmacists refuse women's prescriptions for birth control and for over-the-counter birth control? Don't pharmacists have a code of conduct?

FYI: As of 4/4/07, Walmart revised its nationwide corporate policy with regard to emergency contraception. According to info Wal-mart sent to Planned Parenthood, the new Wal-Mart policy ensures customers “will now receive their prescriptions or OTC products in store without discrimination (no harassment or lectures),” “without delay,” and “without judgment”. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/walmart-policy-13564.htm

Pharmacy chains that make sure birth control products are dispensed, even if one of their pharmacists refuses to fill a prescription: CVS, Eckerd, Medicine Shoppe, RiteAid and Walgreens

As of 4/4/07, the following retailers did not guarantee birth control products would be dispensed if one of their pharmacists refused to fill a prescription: Target, Giant, Safeway

Answer 1

As others have said, it's because of the influence of the Religious Right. Some states have laws prohibiting these sorts of "conscience clauses" that enable pharmacists (or entire pharmacies!) to refuse to fill prescriptions based on their personal beliefs about contraception. A number of chain pharmacies also prohibit this kind of refusal. Unfortunately, a number of them do not.

It's disgusting that they can get away with shirking their duties and putting women at risk because they don't want to do their jobs. If you can't bring yourself to fill a birth control prescription, you shouldn't be a pharmacist.

Answer 2

I would be absolutely livid if a pharmacy denied me my prescription. I take birth control pills for a condition called PCOS. Luckily I've never had a problem getting my prescription filled. These pharmacies need to realize that birth control pills are prescribed for reasons other than their primary purpose. That a business licensed to dispense medicine refuses to dispense such medicine is shameful. When agreeing to run a pharmacy, you agree to sell medicine, a pharmacist's personal opinions and religious beliefs shouldn't play into it at all.

Answer 3

The only valid reason for refusing to fill it would be a medical contraindication. Use of EC carries risks and is not supposed to be administered too frequently, as the Best Answer explains here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoCEM7RjKtwQxbnsctIS9mrty6IX?qid=20070504131306AAKpCxp

Certain companies have publicly declared that they will not stock some forms of contraception, which gives consumers the knowledge of where not to bother looking for it. Our market economy makes this acceptable, since it IS available at some stores. A savvy consumer can use this information to personally boycott a company, if desired. (I do.)

An individual pharmacist has the right to refuse to fill a prescription based on his/her moral convictions. In this case, the store should have someone else available to fill it.
This is why the ABC act is needed... not all stores are following through to make sure that the patient's scrip gets filled.

What we have is a conflict between preserving the rights of an individual (the pharmacist) to not compromise his/her personal convictions, and the right of the general public to have access to basic health care. The ABC act seeks to resolve this conflict.

Answer 4

Here in Australia We demand and maintain Our rights to freedom of choice.
Some where in Your Constitution the Founding Fathers enacted legislation separating the powers of the State and the Church. The Church never liked the idea of free will, and has slowly eaten away at Your right to choose what you think is best for Your own welfare and webbing. Whilst people keep electing candidates who are a party to this church fostered conspiracy You, Your Sisters, Daughters and Your friends will never be able to make all the choices in Your life that You should otherwise be entitled to make.

Answer 5

I am admittedly torn on this issue.

I think being faced with not being able to get your perscription filled would be awful. Birth control is time sensitive and many women cannot opt to travel to another pharmacy that will fill it.

However, pharmacies are independently run businesses and have the right to refuse medication if the situation is not life threatening. If a business owner doesn't want to sell a product, that's his/her choice. What he or she cannot do is sell that product to some people but not others, i.e. married women can get birth control but single women cannot.

Unless legislation is enacted (which again, I'm not entirely sure if I support that or not), the best thing to do is not to do business with pharmacies that do not fill birth control perscriptoins even if you are not personally affected by it. Encorage your friends and family to do the same. The pharmacist may have made a this decision based on moral grounds but it is ultimately a business decision, one that will hopefully cost him or her a sizeable portion of income.

Answer 6

Isn't that insane? I've actually done a lot of work on this through the ACLU. Why can't people understand that religious principles apply to *only them*. YOUR VALUES DON'T APPLY TO OTHER PEOPLE.

Gee, I just decided that people shouldn't eat shellfish. (Hey, it's an "abomination" in Leviticus, unlike the pill.) And, I'm a chef. My boss wants to fire me for refusing to cook what people order, but it's my freedom of religion! It's my belief that everyone who eats shellfish is breaking God's law! Don't I have the right to impose that view on others?

Um, NO.
Are they breaking the code of conduct? Yes. Their rights extend to their OWN lives, not mine. What can be done? Help religious nuts see that no, they actually DO NOT have the right to force others to follow their religous traditions. Or else I'm going to start my own religion that compels me to throw paint at holier-than-thou pharmacists.

Answer 7

Some individual pharmacists probably let their religious biases get in the way of business. Again, thank goodness we have P-squared.

Answer 8

highly recommended these sites:

http://www.ustabs.com ........................................... store located in Los Angeles, U.S

http://www.tabscanada.com ........................................... main store located in Ontario, CA

http://www.opharmarcy.com ........................................... main store located Queensland, AU

http://www.indiandrugsstore.com ........................................... is an indian pharmacy,

http://www.nycpill.com ........................................... main store located in london, UK

ordering drugs online can cut costs considerably. A Consumer Reports study found that savings can reach 25% or more. There are so many pharmacies available which provides FDA approved medicines without any issues.

These sites also calls immediately after the order to confirm your order. I've had nothing but great success and interactions with the on line folks. Shipping took a 8 days, but that was because of the postal service used.

Answer 9

Thank god we dont face that dilemma here in Australia however, Doctors here can refuse to referr a patient seeking an abortion.

Answer 10

I didn't realize they could refuse to. I thought they had to fill any perscription that was brought to them. I guess they think they have the right to tell you what you can do with your body. If they refuse just tell them your taking your business elsewhere.