I was denied birth control

[BelieveinScience]

I went to the pharmacy to get my birth control refilled. The pharmacist there refused to refill it and came up with a bunch of excuses as to why she can't refill it- all BS. I've dealt with her before when I needed to refill birth control and her excuse last time was "we don't have any of that kind right now". I'm beyond pissed. The male pharmacist that works there refills my birth control but he wasn't working today.

Why why why be a pharmacist if you're going to refuse to refill something as common as birth control?!

[valsa]

I seem to recall a "movement" I heard about a couple years ago where Christians were pushing young adults en mass to become pharmacists, to basically make it impossible for people to get things like birth control and the morning after pill (if you've lost in the courts and that kind of thing is legal, you can still "win" by making it functionally impossible to get ahold of) I doubt it ever took hold but this pharmacist could have come up with the same idea on her own.

I hope you report that bitch every time it happens.

And I'm sorry you have to go through this. I can't help but think how much something like that would affect a poor woman without any transportation. She'd have to spend the money to take another bus/cab up there, possibly with her children, which means she could end up missing a few day, or even the entire month, of her birth control.

And yet, I'm sure this pharmacist would probably consider herself "pro-life", even though her actions could directly lead to a woman needing an abortion instead of just preventing pregnancy to begin with.

[E Street Fan]

Please call the pharmacy manager and the store manager. And update after.

[BelieveinScience]

I seem to recall a "movement" I heard about a couple years ago where Christians were pushing young adults en mass to become pharmacists, to basically make it impossible for people to get things like birth control and the morning after pill (if you've lost in the courts and that kind of thing is legal, you can still "win" by making it functionally impossible to get ahold of) I doubt it ever took hold but this pharmacist could have come up with the same idea on her own.

I hope you report that bitch every time it happens.

And I'm sorry you have to go through this. I can't help but think how much something like that would affect a poor woman without any transportation. She'd have to spend the money to take another bus/cab up there, possibly with her children, which means she could end up missing a few day, or even the entire month, of her birth control.

And yet, I'm sure this pharmacist would probably consider herself "pro-life", even though her actions could directly lead to a woman needing an abortion instead of just preventing pregnancy to begin with.

The best part is because I argued with her over my birth control. She refused to fill another prescription I needed claiming it was expired- Total lie- I had teh pill bottle with me and the prescription expires Dec 6th. I'm just so livid right now.

[Trynn]

I seem to recall a "movement" I heard about a couple years ago where Christians were pushing young adults en mass to become pharmacists, to basically make it impossible for people to get things like birth control and the morning after pill (if you've lost in the courts and that kind of thing is legal, you can still "win" by making it functionally impossible to get ahold of) I doubt it ever took hold but this pharmacist could have come up with the same idea on her own.

I hope you report that bitch every time it happens.

And I'm sorry you have to go through this. I can't help but think how much something like that would affect a poor woman without any transportation. She'd have to spend the money to take another bus/cab up there, possibly with her children, which means she could end up missing a few day, or even the entire month, of her birth control.

And yet, I'm sure this pharmacist would probably consider herself "pro-life", even though her actions could directly lead to a woman needing an abortion instead of just preventing pregnancy to begin with.

See, and this is what I DON'T get about the anti-birth control movement. Birth control actually helps PREVENT abortions. Less unwanted babies=less abortions. It seems to me that if you REALLY want to prevent abortions, why don't you enable women to prevent the unwanted pregnancies in the first place? It seems like this would be so much more effective than outlawing abortion, because abortion is going to happen anyway, legal or not.

Oh, and I totally agree with the above comment: report that lady to the manager.

[emmiedahl]

Please call the pharmacy manager and the store manager. And update after.

What the pharmacist did is perfectly legal. However, they could get in some trouble with their employers, so make sure to write a strongly-worded letter. In addition, perhaps write a letter to your state representative. It will be a few decades before this shit will be made illegal, but we can start at least!

There is a movement in the US to do this. Pharmacists are being encouraged by religious leaders to refuse to dispense certain kinds of medicine, usually related to contraception. I think as a medical professional, you should not be allowed to have a conscientious objection to a legal and routine health procedure. In specific cases, of course, but not in general.

[BelieveinScience]

See, and this is what I DON'T get about the anti-birth control movement. Birth control actually helps PREVENT abortions. Less unwanted babies=less abortions. It seems to me that if you REALLY want to prevent abortions, why don't you enable women to prevent the unwanted pregnancies in the first place? It seems like this would be so much more effective than outlawing abortion, because abortion is going to happen anyway, legal or not.

Oh, and I totally agree with the above comment: report that lady to the manager.

But but but when you use birth control you are causing abortions!

She was the only person working in the pharmacy so I have no one to complain to and knowing my luck she'd be the manager. Should I contact corporate? ITs a major pharmacy chain.

[sparkles]

I would have gone ballistic and probably ended up getting myself arrested or something. I'm not exactly known for having a meek and quiet spirit.

What I don't understand is why people who refuse to do their jobs aren't fired. Unless you work at a fundie pharmacy that specifically states and publicizes it won't fill certain types of prescriptions--if that's indeed legal--I don't think the job description says you can pick and choose what you will or will not dispense. If your beliefs prevent you from doing the job you were hired to do, then look for another job. Otherwise, shut the fuck up and do what you're being paid to do.

Please, please, please report this to every possible person, agency and media outlet.

[emmiedahl]

I forgot to add that I am really sorry you had to deal with this bullshit.

Seriously, if someone is a pharmacist with an objection to a medication that 40% of women of childbearing age are taking at this moment, someone needs to get a new job. Please write your legislators because this *is* a movement and it *will* be affecting someone you know. Pharmacists are currently allowed to refuse to dispense any medication for ethical or religious reasons except in emergency situations.

And before someone asks, I believe doctors and nurses should be held to the same standard. If you have an ethical objection to a certain individual case, that is very different from being against an entire class of procedures. If you are against ever performing an abortion, become an ophthalmologist or endo, not an ER doctor or OBGYN.

[valsa]

What the pharmacist did is perfectly legal. However, they could get in some trouble with their employers, so make sure to write a strongly-worded letter. In addition, perhaps write a letter to your state representative. It will be a few decades before this shit will be made illegal, but we can start at least!

There is a movement in the US to do this. Pharmacists are being encouraged by religious leaders to refuse to dispense certain kinds of medicine, usually related to contraception. I think as a medical professional, you should not be allowed to have a conscientious objection to a legal and routine health procedure. In specific cases, of course, but not in general.

I believe the legality of it depends on the state. From everything I've read, pharmacists cannot refuse to fill a perscription in my state.

[BelieveinScience]

I forgot to add that I am really sorry you had to deal with this bullshit.

Seriously, if someone is a pharmacist with an objection to a medication that 40% of women of childbearing age are taking at this moment, someone needs to get a new job. Please write your legislators because this *is* a movement and it *will* be affecting someone you know. Pharmacists are currently allowed to refuse to dispense any medication for ethical or religious reasons except in emergency situations.

And before someone asks, I believe doctors and nurses should be held to the same standard. If you have an ethical objection to a certain individual case, that is very different from being against an entire class of procedures. If you are against ever performing an abortion, become an ophthalmologist or endo, not an ER doctor or OBGYN.

The whole thing is such bull shit. I'm a fucking virgin. I don't use birth control to prevent pregnancy I use it because of hormone issues. Hormone issues that if I don't have access to birth control give me really bad migraines. And the other medicine she refused to fill? Yep was my migraine medication guess shes morally opposed to giving someone relief from a migraine too. And guess who has a migraine right now? yep! Such bull shit.

I already decided I'm going to call my old pharmacy by my parent's house and refill it through there over the phone and give them permission to have my mom pick it up. The pharmacists and pharm techs all know me well there so it shouldn't be an issue. And I'll have my dr send a birth control script to them too.

[emmiedahl]

I believe the legality of it depends on the state. From everything I've read, pharmacists cannot refuse to fill a perscription in my state.

From what I have read, it is a legal gray zone. Medical professionals are allowed to refuse to perform certain services based in ethics. There is no law against it that I can find. The assumption is that doctors and pharmacists are well-trained in the ethics of their profession and best-suited to make the ethical decisions regarding the care they offer. In general, I agree with this, but unfortunately churches are getting their claws into everything. The current trend is for state legislators to pass laws protecting pharmacists who behave this way, rather than laws punishing them.

However, in some states, the state licensing board will take action according to this article I found: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Mar27.html I am not sure what state the OP is in, but perhaps she would consider filing a complaint.

[BelieveinScience]

From what I have read, it is a legal gray zone. Medical professionals are allowed to refuse to perform certain services based in ethics. There is no law against it that I can find. The assumption is that doctors and pharmacists are well-trained in the ethics of their profession and best-suited to make the ethical decisions regarding the care they offer. In general, I agree with this, but unfortunately churches are getting their claws into everything. The current trend is for state legislators to pass laws protecting pharmacists who behave this way, rather than laws punishing them.

However, in some states, the state licensing board will take action according to this article I found: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Mar27.html I am not sure what state the OP is in, but perhaps she would consider filing a complaint.

Im in Maryland.

[sparkles]

Another interesting article. Fair and balanced, I'd say, especially coming from a Jesuit university.

http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/fo ... usals.html

I do believe that a pharmacist must state his or her beliefs upon hiring and if that individual refuses to fill certain prescriptions, the pharmacy must always have another pharmacist on hand who will.

[MonkeyMomma]

But but but when you use birth control you are causing abortions!

She was the only person working in the pharmacy so I have no one to complain to and knowing my luck she'd be the manager. Should I contact corporate? ITs a major pharmacy chain.

I'd complain all the way up the chain - pharmacy manager, general manager, corporate, etc - until I got an apology and a guarantee that I could get my legal, physician prescribed medication. And I would let them know that if I could not get that guarantee, I will take my business to another pharmacy, and encourage my friends to do the same.

[mockingbird]

What the pharmacist did is perfectly legal. However, they could get in some trouble with their employers, so make sure to write a strongly-worded letter. In addition, perhaps write a letter to your state representative. It will be a few decades before this shit will be made illegal, but we can start at least!

There is a movement in the US to do this. Pharmacists are being encouraged by religious leaders to refuse to dispense certain kinds of medicine, usually related to contraception. I think as a medical professional, you should not be allowed to have a conscientious objection to a legal and routine health procedure. In specific cases, of course, but not in general.

I agree with this. We were just talking about conscience laws in my medical school ethics class. I guess the point of the exercise was to show us that we are still allowed to hold beliefs, opinions, etc. as doctors, but I was really disappointed in the way it was presented. The example case was very trivial IMO - similar to what happened here but a different drug, but basically it was based off of judging someone's personal life. I really think conscience laws should be reserved for extreme cases, more like those cases where there is not a defined method of treatment to follow, or where it has a major impact on the patient (life and death, the parents who stunted their developmentally-disabled daughter's growth, etc.). Our professor made it seem like it was ok to apply this to everyday practice even though I am not sure if that was his intention, or he just picked a trivial case so he could maybe make the point of the lesson to focus on ethical decision-making and not debating the specific morality of what was going on in the case. But IMO, you know not every patient is going to hold your beliefs, and if you are not prepared to be comfortable with that, you should not go into a career like pharmacy where it is routine to dispense birth control if doing so is against your beliefs. I really feel like refusing to do so, or refusing to offer any other routine and legal services because of your beliefs, is just forcing your beliefs on someone else. Why should that be legal in medicine? At some point it could become an issue of not practicing medicine to the standard of care expected.

Anyway! I think that is only legal in some states? (I don't know about pharmacy, but I do know some states do NOT allow doctors to refuse to prescribe birth control because of religious/personal beliefs. Unfortunately, my state is not one of them.) Even if it is legal in your state, refusing to refill the other prescription is probably not? If she is the manager, I would definitely report it higher up. Including the pharmaceutical board if you want. I don't know if one complaint would make a difference, but maybe if she does this to multiple people, they would take action. I'm glad you have another pharmacy as an alternative. I might also consider writing to that store manager (of the store where this pharmacist works) to explain why you took your business elsewhere.

[debrand]

This is crazy. I had no idea that pharmacists were allowed to deny patients birth control medication because of personal beliefs.

Please report this to the company. Maybe nothing will happen but at least the company will be aware of the problem.

Also, it should be required for pharmacists and medical professionals to inform potential patients that they are antibirth control. That way, the patient can find a new store and not waste time.

[SpeshulTaterTot]

The whole thing is such bull shit. I'm a fucking virgin. I don't use birth control to prevent pregnancy I use it because of hormone issues. Hormone issues that if I don't have access to birth control give me really bad migraines. And the other medicine she refused to fill? Yep was my migraine medication guess shes morally opposed to giving someone relief from a migraine too. And guess who has a migraine right now? yep! Such bull shit.

I already decided I'm going to call my old pharmacy by my parent's house and refill it through there over the phone and give them permission to have my mom pick it up. The pharmacists and pharm techs all know me well there so it shouldn't be an issue. And I'll have my dr send a birth control script to them too.

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that woman, and with the migraine now. I started taking the pill long before I even though about having sex for medical reasons, too, so I feel your pain.

I can't believe this is legal. Seriously. If you don't believe in birth control, fine, don't take it. How dare they make decisions for other people.

[Arete]

BIS, if it is a major chain, the pharmacist is NOT the manager. I would call and find out the name of the manager who should have been on duty when you tried to get it filled, then write your letter and send it to them and the corporate offices. The website should have the corporate office information.

If it is illegal in your state, or they must have another pharmacist on hand if they have an objector, make sure you put in a complaint to the Better Business Bureau as well.

I'm so sorry you have to spend time on this BS.

[emmiedahl]

According to what I found, Maryland is a state where pharmacists have the legal right to do this. (http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/what-is ... auses.html)

However, you might get some action by filing a complaint with the state board of pharmacists. Here is their complaint form: http://dhmh.maryland.gov/pharmacy/SiteP ... laint.aspx

[valsa]

From what I have read, it is a legal gray zone. Medical professionals are allowed to refuse to perform certain services based in ethics. There is no law against it that I can find. The assumption is that doctors and pharmacists are well-trained in the ethics of their profession and best-suited to make the ethical decisions regarding the care they offer.

Medical professionals do have standards of practice they have to adhere to and I don't think, unless where specific exceptions are noted, they can opt-out due to ethics without facing penalty. For instance, a JW doctors and nurses cannot opt out of giving patients blood transfusions. Doctors and nurses cannot refuse to treat gay patients, even if they have a religious problem with doing so. A Jewish doctor cannot refuse to pull a frozen-ham shiv out of a patient (okay, so I was running out of examples...)

One of the areas where there are often times specific exceptions is reproductive matters (because it's totally okay to shit on health matters that only affect women, of course) That's where these "conscience clauses" come into place, but different states cover different things under their conscience clause.

This PDF has a pretty good state-by-state chart:

http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/s ... b_RPHS.pdf

There was some degree of federal law covering things like abortion but Obama just repealed part of that (which was enacted under Bush, of course) and made other parts less ambiguous, so I'm not sure exactly where that stands.

[emmiedahl]

Medical professionals do have standards of practice they have to adhere to and I don't think, unless where specific exceptions are noted, they can opt-out due to ethics without facing penalty. For instance, a JW doctors and nurses cannot opt out of giving patients blood transfusions. Doctors and nurses cannot refuse to treat gay patients, even if they have a religious problem with doing so. A Jewish doctor cannot refuse to pull a frozen-ham shiv out of a patient (okay, so I was running out of examples...)

One of the areas where there are often times specific exceptions is reproductive matters (because it's totally okay to shit on health matters that only affect women, of course) That's where these "conscience clauses" come into place, but different states cover different things under their conscience clause.

This PDF has a pretty good state-by-state chart:

http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/s ... b_RPHS.pdf

There was some degree of federal law covering things like abortion but Obama just repealed part of that (which was enacted under Bush, of course) and made other parts less ambiguous, so I'm not sure exactly where that stands.

Catholic hospitals all over the US refuse to provide standard care for an ectopic pregnancy, removing the entire fallopian tube and compromising future fertility rather than dispensing methotrexate. I believe some also refuse to provide morning after pills to rape victims, which is the medical standard of treatment.

One of the articles that I read noted that most people do not file complaints, so it is not actionable. If people encounter a religious institution or professional not providing an acceptable standard of care, please report to all possible bodies: the manager, the corporate employer, state boards, etc.

[valsa]

Im in Maryland.

From what I can tell, Maryland does (or did) have specific laws that a pharmacist cannot refuse to fill your perscription. I'll see if I can sniff out the law itself.

[mockingbird]

Actually, this PDF says Maryland does not have a law covering pharmacists' ability to refuse contraception. Their refusal law only applies to abortion and sterilization.

http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/s ... b_RPHS.pdf

ETA: Here's more http://www.prochoicemd.org/in-our-state ... laws.shtml

[fundiefan]

I'd switch pharmacies and make sure everyone knew why. Not only for prescriptions, but I'd never go to that store again for anything.

Money talks. If a pharmacy allows its pharmacists to deny filling a prescription, and that lets money walk out the door, they may think twice.

I'd switch doctors if I were refused treatment or prescriptions; hell, I just switched Internet providers because of the policies of my previous one. When anyone is providing a service, as the customer it's my way or the high way (if I have that choice, of course).

I don't use Walmart pharmacy because they only sell the generic form of some of the steroids I use and since I've been using them for more than 20 years, I know there is a difference from experience and I won't settle.

We do have some control.