I was denied birth control

[BelieveinScience]

Thanks guys. I'm going to have to think on what route I want to go.

Was it legal for her to refuse to refill my fioricet (my headache medication) then too?

The funny thing to me is in my mind I had liberal= open minded. I live in a liberal county in a liberal state. We voted upwards of 85 percent obama. Yet I had to deal with this and the closest hospital is a christian based hospital. The thought of having to fight for my rights for something as simple as birth control pisses me off.

[Arete]

There is no way it can be legal for her to refuse to dispense a drug for which you have a valid prescription. I would nail her ass to the wall on both counts since MD does not allow her to HAVE an objection to dispensing birth control.

[valsa]

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.

While that is the medical standard, it also falls into that "noted exception" category. In almost all states, there are laws that individual providers and institutions (states differ on whether all institutions or just private ones) can refuse abortion services.

[BlueChair]

If it were me, I'd be contacting every local news agency to let them know what happened. Local news stations and papers love stories like this, and it would definitely bring attention and debate to the issue.

[emmiedahl]

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

NARAL says that they are specifically allowed by law *to* refuse based on conscience but I think it is in reference to morning after pills? I am really confused. http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/what-is ... p?mapID=11

[Rosa]

at the very least, call and complain and get transferred up the ladder til someone takes your complaint. It doesn't really matter if it's illegal or not, unless you want to take them to court - at the very least you want them to know it costs the pharmacy money. Those "conscience" laws wouldn't pass if all the pharmacy chains lobbied against them.

If you're also switching your prescription, tell them that, too. Money talks.

[emmiedahl]

at the very least, call and complain and get transferred up the ladder til someone takes your complaint. It doesn't really matter if it's illegal or not, unless you want to take them to court - at the very least you want them to know it costs the pharmacy money. Those "conscience" laws wouldn't pass if all the pharmacy chains lobbied against them.

If you're also switching your prescription, tell them that, too. Money talks.

Yeah, even if it is legal (or not explicitly illegal), it might still get them fired or disciplined by the state board.

[doggie]

I am sure she thinks she was preventing the evil Jezebel from having sex. But it is a chain and that's where your power lies. Money your power and if you report her and make a stink gods little mistress will get in trouble. Far less of a chance of this happening to a local place. Social media is your friend post this on facebook get it out.

[Minerva]

So she makes up excuses every time you try to get her to refill your birth control? I think you should get the manager in on this. Ask if it's true that they were out of your pills on day X, complain that they've been running out of this type of pill a lot, AND that this pharmacist keeps misreading the expiry dates on your prescriptions and you've had to go to a different pharmacy because of all this. The pharmacist has been lying to you, a customer, and that could get her in trouble if nothing else will.

[OkToBeTakei]

NOT that it should make ANY difference whatsoever but she had no idea if you were using BC for birth control or a medical reason.

This is just disgusting.

[Wolfie]

I think that one thing that shows that the person is probably lying is that when I've had a pharmacy out of something, they've either told me when they can get it in, and/or offered to call other local pharmacies to see if they have it in stock to transfer the prescription.

Did she do either of these things?

[BelieveinScience]

I found a way to contact corporate.

Does this sound okay? On November 18, 2012 I went to one of your pharmacies located in , Maryland to get two prescriptions refilled. One being birth control the other a migraine medication. The female pharmacist working there refused to fill both of the prescriptions. She went on about how she couldn’t fill the birth control reasons like my prescription expired, then when I brought up that I wanted my migraine medication refilled she gave me the my prescription excuse for it to. When I went home I found that my migraine medication hadn’t expired. In fact it doesn’t expire until Dec 6, 2012 which is almost 3 weeks away. I can’t find my birth control prescription paper but I can only assume it’s the same case for that.

My family and I have been using your pharmacies ever since I can remember. We have never had issues with any of your other pharmacies. In fact most the pharmacists in your pharmacies go beyond what is their job description to help us. However, because of this one event I’m strongly thinking about switching pharmacies so that I can get the care I deserve as a customer and encouraging my friends and other family members to do the same.

[BelieveinScience]

I think that one thing that shows that the person is probably lying is that when I've had a pharmacy out of something, they've either told me when they can get it in, and/or offered to call other local pharmacies to see if they have it in stock to transfer the prescription.

Did she do either of these things?

Nope. The other pharmacist that works there does the we can have it on XX date by XX time. But she's never brought it up.

[valsa]

Well fuck me if that wasn't hard a shit to find.

Because I don't know how to cite this, I'll just run down how I found it-

Maryland Statutes- Subject matter "Health Occupations" > Title 12 "Pharmacists and Pharmacies" > Subtitle 5 "Practice of Pharmacy and Operation of Pharmacies" > Section 12-501 "Refusal to dispense or refill prescription":

(a) Basis for refusal.- A pharmacist may refuse to dispense or refill a prescription if the decision is based on professional judgment, experience, knowledge, or available reference materials.

Basically, this covers cases of the being unsafe medication inactions.

And just to be super clear, this is from a 2004 newsletter Q&A from the Maryland Attorney General's office:

Question 1: Would Health Occupations Article, §12-501(a), which allows a pharmacist to refuse to dispense or refill a prescription on the basis of professional judgment, experience, knowledge, or available reference materials, permit a pharmacist to refuse to fill a prescription for contraceptives, based on the pharmacist’s religious or moral beliefs?

Answer: No; §12-501(a) would not cover a decision based on religious or moral beliefs.

[SpeshulTaterTot]

You should also mention that she did this before.

[Minerva]

You should probably include the exact location, and the name of the pharmacist if possible.

[DarkAnts]

Thanks guys. I'm going to have to think on what route I want to go.

Was it legal for her to refuse to refill my fioricet (my headache medication) then too?

The funny thing to me is in my mind I had liberal= open minded. I live in a liberal county in a liberal state. We voted upwards of 85 percent obama. Yet I had to deal with this and the closest hospital is a christian based hospital. The thought of having to fight for my rights for something as simple as birth control pisses me off.

I highly doubt that its legal for her to refuse to refill your floricet. There is no ethical/ religious reason to opt out of refilling pain medicine. I would talk to the manager. Let them know whats going on. If the manager wont do anything then I would talk to the store mananger and switch pharmacies. Let the store manager know your reasons for switching.

[BelieveinScience]

You should probably include the exact location, and the name of the pharmacist if possible.

I have the exact location and store numbe rin there. I just removed it for privacy reasons. I don't know her name but she is the only female pharmacist that works there.

[valsa]

NARAL says that they are specifically allowed by law *to* refuse based on conscience but I think it is in reference to morning after pills? I am really confused. http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/what-is ... p?mapID=11

From what I can tell that page just talks about refusing overall "medical services", which usually means "abortion" (which Maryland doctors can refuse)

[emmiedahl]

I have the exact location and store numbe rin there. I just removed it for privacy reasons. I don't know her name but she is the only female pharmacist that works there.

Often they have photos of pharmacists and their names on the wall in the pharmacy area.

[Wolfie]

Often they have photos of pharmacists and their names on the wall in the pharmacy area.

The local Target here doesn't, and at least one local CVS has photos of both, but not names for both.

[Artemis]

Go in with a witness* and ask her again. See if she refuses. If she does, get her name and report her again. If she doesn't, still get her name, and report to corporate that she refused you on your own, but not with a witness there who could have testified to her refusal.

*Don't make it clear they are a witness. Just have them hang around there.

It's not her business to make moral decisions for you.

[Lady_Catherine]

If you know it was not expired, I'd pull out my cell, call my doctor's office, and have them call the pharmacy and fix it. Then she would not be able to use that excuse.

My best friend is a pharmacist, and yes, they can refuse to fill prescriptions for moral reasons AND for safety reasons in all 50 states. If they are refusing for moral reasons, they should refer you to someone who WILL fill it.

[valsa]

I found a way to contact corporate.

Does this sound okay? On November 18, 2012 I went to one of your pharmacies located in , Maryland to get two prescriptions refilled. One being birth control the other a migraine medication. The female pharmacist working there refused to fill both of the prescriptions. She went on about how she couldn’t fill the birth control reasons like my prescription expired, then when I brought up that I wanted my migraine medication refilled she gave me the my prescription excuse for it to. When I went home I found that my migraine medication hadn’t expired. In fact it doesn’t expire until Dec 6, 2012 which is almost 3 weeks away. I can’t find my birth control prescription paper but I can only assume it’s the same case for that.

My family and I have been using your pharmacies ever since I can remember. We have never had issues with any of your other pharmacies. In fact most the pharmacists in your pharmacies go beyond what is their job description to help us. However, because of this one event I’m strongly thinking about switching pharmacies so that I can get the care I deserve as a customer and encouraging my friends and other family members to do the same.

I think it's a good start but should be worded more strongly. I'd include the fact that the pharmacist illegally refused to fill your lawful prescription and I'd include the statute that states her behavior is illegal in your state (frankly, I'd also print that shit out and go have a talk with that pharmacist as well as her boss) I wouldn't say that I was thinking about changing pharmacies but that I would be changing pharmacies unless the situation is rectified, that I would use word of mouth to explain to my friends and family why I was changing pharmacies, and that I would be filing a complaint against the pharmacist with the Maryland Board of Pharmacy for not only repeatedly refusing to fill my birth control prescriptions for what I suspect is a moral conflict, but also that she lied about the expiration date for other medication.

Also, once you find out the woman's name (which you should definitely do before sending in the letter), you should check online with the Board of Pharmacy to see if she has any other disciplinary action against her. If she has, include that in your letter.

Take no prisoners.

[emmiedahl]

I was able to find my local pharmacist's name by googling the store location, and then there was a button that said "pharmacy staff at this location".