This story is just sad. One rape victim in Arizona frantically searched for three days to get emergency contraception.
While calling dozens of Tucson pharmacies trying to fill a prescription for emergency contraception, she found that most did not stock the drug. When she finally did find a pharmacy with it, she said she was told the pharmacist on duty would not dispense it because of religious and moral objections. "I was so shocked," said the 20-year-old woman, who, as a victim of sexual assault, is not being named by the Star. "I just did not understand how they could legally refuse to do this."
It's disgusting how the religious right tries to force their views on others. It is not acceptable that a pharmacist refuses to do the job he undertook in full knowledge of what it entails. What if on "moral grounds," the pharmacist chose not to fulfill prescriptions for Jews, or non-Christians for that matter? Apparently, pharamacies such as the ones in Tuscon or the whole Target chain (which allows pharmacists to choose what they fill) do not have a problem with that.
Comments (2)
Wow. Some of the family practice doctors I worked with wouldn't prescribe emergency contraception for moral/religious reasons as well. Personally, I think regardless of one's moral approach to contraception and family planning, I think that we can all agree that preventing an unwanted pregnancy (with plan B) is better than terminating it down the line, both for moral 'sanctity of life' reasons and for the health and well being of the patient.
After seeing how difficult it is for these desperate young women to find emergency contraception, and seeing how the FDA is not at all eager to help make things easier, perhaps doctors should just prescribe their patients regular E/P birth control pills in these 'conservative' areas along with the instructions: take 2 pills 12 hours apart for a total of 4 pills within 12 hours. Thats it. Emergency contraception. Granted, some people have a hard time getting even birth control prescriptions filled, but hey, it's got better odds than the other.
Posted by Tracy | October 24, 2005 11:15 PM
Posted on October 24, 2005 23:15
The doctor chips in. This must not be finance!
Posted by Paramendra Bhagat | November 4, 2005 5:13 PM
Posted on November 4, 2005 17:13