I was denied birth control

[shesinsane]

Let me put it this way.... I moved from the West Coast (W = first letter!) and the pharmacy is all over the country! Now I live on the eaSt Side of the county.... (S = last letter) :D

Ha. I live in Maryland and get most of my prescriptions by mail, 3 months at a time, from W________s mail order. I think your pharmacist was having a day where she felt bad for herself, and so she wanted to cheer herself up by belittling patients. You should complain to her store, corporate, the media, FJ, and anyone else who will listen. It's her fault you've got this headache, might as well try and spread the headache around. :)

[slickcat79]

This happened at a Walgreens in NM this summer.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/local/cent ... e-religion

Walgreens issued a statement about what they allow of their pharmacists:

A corporate spokesman for Walgreens sent News 13 a statement, "We do allow pharmacists to step away from filling a prescription to which they have a moral objection, our policy also requires the pharmacist to refer the prescription to another pharmacist on duty who can fill the prescription. If another pharmacist isn't available, our store management must be notified so that we can make arrangements to have the prescription filled at a nearby pharmacy or picked up when another pharmacist is on duty."

Personally, I don't think that's adequate. I don't think you should have to come back at another time because the pharmacist thinks you're immoral. I have no patience for someone who becomes a pharmacist knowing that they have some arbitrary objection to filling certain prescriptions. It's not like you just wake up one day and become a pharmacist, there's a lot of education and training that goes into it. If there were a store in my area who had an employee like that, I would not keep my scripts there.

[ceg045]

This happened at a Walgreens in NM this summer.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/local/cent ... e-religion

Walgreens issued a statement about what they allow of their pharmacists:

Personally, I don't think that's adequate. I don't think you should have to come back at another time because the pharmacist thinks you're immoral. I have no patience for someone who becomes a pharmacist knowing that they have some arbitrary objection to filling certain prescriptions. It's not like you just wake up one day and become a pharmacist, there's a lot of education and training that goes into it. If there were a store in my area who had an employee like that, I would not keep my scripts there.

No joke. It should be store policy that there needs to be a pharmacist available who is willing to distribute contraceptives at all times, and it needs to be a standard interview question in applying for these types of positions. Maybe it would make stores think twice before hiring the "moral objection" crowd if they had to pay for the extra expense of an additional pharmacist to essentially babysit.

No one is forcing these people to become pharmacists. But once you choose a career, especially one as impactful as the medical profession, you commit to a certain code of behavior. If you can't put your personal views aside to do what professional standards dictate, then you shouldn't be in that field.

[mkitten]

No joke. It should be store policy that there needs to be a pharmacist available who is willing to distribute contraceptives at all times, and it needs to be a standard interview question in applying for these types of positions. Maybe it would make stores think twice before hiring the "moral objection" crowd if they had to pay for the extra expense of an additional pharmacist to essentially babysit.

No one is forcing these people to become pharmacists. But once you choose a career, especially one as impactful as the medical profession, you commit to a certain code of behavior. If you can't put your personal views aside to do what professional standards dictate, then you shouldn't be in that field.

Exactly. I have a very good friend who is a pharmacist and her response to these types of 'morally objecting' pharmacists was "Suck it up, buttercup; it isn't about you, it is about your patient. period."

[docmom]

It may be important to note that there is a difference between legal and ethical behavior in this case. The pharmacist may not be legally required to dispense something she morally disagrees with, but ethically, she must do what she can to help you obtain the medication. This is why most pharmacies have the Walgreen's phrasing saying that the pharmacist will ask a colleague to dispense to arrange for your medication to be waiting somewhere else. If she did not do this and your prescription is indeed valid, she is violating ethics rules and could face disciplinary action from the state board. If you go back to that pharmacy and she tries this on again, I would remind her of this.

[BelieveinScience]

I want to reply to a bunch of the comments but im at work on my phone. I just wanted to say that i just got off the phone with the nurse from my gyn and told her what happened. She is going to have the doctor fill out anothee script to send to the pharmacist so they cant make up any bullshit about how its expired. And see what she says. As far as the fiorocet goes my script was started for it im dec of 2011. Its good for one year before i need a new one. I got it last filled in sept . And my ild phaemacist back at home said it wasg ood until dec 2012 to get my last refill. So its clear that the pharmacist at this new place is lying. And yes the pharmacy is a chain.

[shesinsane]

I want to reply to a bunch of the comments but im at work on my phone. I just wanted to say that i just got off the phone with the nurse from my gyn and told her what happened. She is going to have the doctor fill out anothee script to send to the pharmacist so they cant make up any bullshit about how its expired. And see what she says. As far as the fiorocet goes my script was started for it im dec of 2011. Its good for one year before i need a new one. I got it last filled in sept . And my ild phaemacist back at home said it wasg ood until dec 2012 to get my last refill. So its clear that the pharmacist at this new place is lying. And yes the pharmacy is a chain.

That means there's a corporate office somewhere. In my experience working for retail chains, customer complaints that go that high result in corporate saying "Do whatever you must to make the customer happy," which was a pain in the ass for us, but this pharmacist is well deserving of ass pain. Who knows, perhaps there's already got a stack of complaints against the pharmacist for prescriptions refused, and your complaint will be the straw that gets the camel fired.

[mkitten]

I just have to laugh now, there is an ad for Walgreens at the top of my screen! I've always thought that pharmacists that will not dispense birth control have no business in a retail pharmacy where they have interaction with patients. Mail order is fine, because of the environment (I've worked in mail order as well) technicians and pharmacists are assigned stations where they work to fill and approve prescriptions, a pharmacist who has a 'moral objection' to birth control could simply decline the birth control "station" and no patient would be harmed, no prescription would ever be delayed because there are always literally dozens of other pharmacists on site who will approve the order for shipping.

I've never worked in a hospital setting before, so I can't speak to that; although if there are always multiple phamacists on duty at all times and there is no danger at any time whatsoever that a patient could ever be denied a legal prescription then I suppose the so called 'morally objecting' pharmacist could work there to. But not retail. Never retail. It's complete and utter bullshit that any woman could ever be denied a legal prescription from her doctor because the pharmacist has some sort of religious hang-up./ end rant

[Deleted06]

I recently had trouble with a pharmacy. The name begins with W and ends with S, just like yours. Dr had faxed over 2 prescriptions, I went directly from office to pharmacy to pick them up. 45 minutes later my name was called. They had filled 1, so I asked why only 1 when they got 2? Clerk said oh, do you want both? Ummm, yeah! So 30 minutes later they did the 2nd.

I have a few prescriptions I fill on a regular basis. I have switched to a different pharmacy. W's corporate office and my local store received angry comments from me and are aware I will never use them again.

A$$holes!

[Mela99]

I want to reply to a bunch of the comments but im at work on my phone. I just wanted to say that i just got off the phone with the nurse from my gyn and told her what happened. She is going to have the doctor fill out anothee script to send to the pharmacist so they cant make up any bullshit about how its expired. And see what she says. As far as the fiorocet goes my script was started for it im dec of 2011. Its good for one year before i need a new one. I got it last filled in sept . And my ild phaemacist back at home said it wasg ood until dec 2012 to get my last refill. So its clear that the pharmacist at this new place is lying. And yes the pharmacy is a chain.

I'd call the papers, corporate, the local manager and raise holy hell.

[SealFan1963]

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.

The bolded sentence above is exactly what the no birth control people believe. What scares me is that I truly believe they will not be happy until every single woman in this country is forced to have as many children as possible.

[BelieveinScience]

IF (and it is a big if) they were legitimately out of the brand of BC you needed, it shouldn't be too much of an issue for them to locate some for you. There have been times that I have come in with less common prescriptions and have been told that they do not carry it but that they can either A) Order it for me and have it within 48 hours for me to pick up OR B) Call around FOR me to find a place that carries it. That is called customer service! Honestly, i think she was just being a judgy bitch and i applaud you for speaking up!!!

She never said that they were out- just that she couldn't fill it for a list of reasons.

Fioricet can be, and is, abused--and it can be addictive. If your pharmacist hates you and is unethical, she can claim that she thought you were taking it unsafely/selling it/whatever which is a legal reason to refuse to fill. A friend of mine prescribes me my Fioricet and he always tells me to call him directly if the pharmacy refuses to fill it (I usually go through a bottle of 90 a month, so it's a lot). Maybe you can have your doctor's office call?

That would be really bitchy of her considering she's seen me twice. Nice judgement call for her especially since she can see the date of the last time I refilled it which was several months ago and I only get 30 pills at a time.

I hate internet pharmacies. I've used two different ones and both times my prescriptions would come it 1-2 weeks after I needed them no matter when I requested a refill. I prefer to see a person face to face too because I always have questions about my drugs.

Are you willing to name and shame the pharmacy?

I moved to Maryland a bit ago, and I want to make sure I never give this place my money.

Also re: expired. I believe that controlled drug prescriptions are good for 6 months after they are written, and everything else is one year, so her excuse is utter BS.

It's not the W....S pharmacy. I don't want to say it out right incase people are googling and I'm still iffy on what I want to do but finish these and youll get it: Opposite of Left + First_____ (waht happens when you're hurt)

[itsnikki05]

That is ridiculous. You have a prescription, they fill it. I mean, I didn't know they could say "Nope, not going to do it!" That's their JOB!

[splork]

Good luck and please pursue this with the corporation. If your state specifically exempts birth control and Plan B from their conscience laws I suspect they'll be happy to find out one of their pharmacists is violating the law in a complaint instead of when they're hit with a lawsuit. These chains really need to hear that it's not acceptable to hire crazy people. It's possible that they were just out of your brand of birth control, but the proper thing to do is call around and find you someplace where it's in stock.

Re: hospitals and pharmacists who won't fill "abortificants" in that setting. It's absolutely NOT okay. I'm a hospital pharmacist and it's not uncommon for there to only be one pharmacist on on overnight shifts unless your in a thousand bed medical center or something. I used to work at a rural hospital where there was generally only one pharmacist on in the evenings. When I first started there we DID have a pharmacist who would refuse to make IM methotrexate for ectopic pregnancies and would refuse to send plan B down to the ED. If a pharmacy wants to try and accommodate people's crazy beliefs, they need to have a written plan for what to do in urgent situations, the pharmacy needs to be willing to absorb the extra costs involved (if you need a second pharmacist on call at all times, you've gotta pay for it) and you've got to hire staff who can take call (live within driving distance of the hospital, forgo that glass of wine on their evenings off etc.) One crazy person, even if they are only tangentially involved with care, can do irreparable harm if they delay appropriate treatment. Most hospitals are really struggling and can ill-afford the extra costs involved with accommodating nutjobs.

Re: pro-lifer plans to get people into pharmacy. I don't know whether there's a movement to get pro-life people into pharmacy. I don't think the people who WOULD try to become pharmacists or doctors just to deny people birth control are necessarily smart enough to do so. My pharmacy school class was made up mostly of fairly privileged white kids who had gone straight from high school to college to pharmacy school and had very little life experience to speak of. We had some vocal anti-abortion folks in my medical ethics class, but we ALL got certified to dispense emergency contraception. My sense is that pharmacists who believe they are conscientious objectors are very rare. The idea that handing over a pack of birth control pills is the same as performing a medical abortion takes a special crazy inflated sense of self-importance that you don't find even in most people who are anti-abortion.

[BelieveinScience]

HOw long should I give corporate to give me a response?

[pixydust]

She never said that they were out- just that she couldn't fill it for a list of reasons.

That would be really bitchy of her considering she's seen me twice. Nice judgement call for her especially since she can see the date of the last time I refilled it which was several months ago and I only get 30 pills at a time.

I hate internet pharmacies. I've used two different ones and both times my prescriptions would come it 1-2 weeks after I needed them no matter when I requested a refill. I prefer to see a person face to face too because I always have questions about my drugs.

It's not the W....S pharmacy. I don't want to say it out right incase people are googling and I'm still iffy on what I want to do but finish these and youll get it: Opposite of Left + First_____ (waht happens when you're hurt)

That is who we use, and while I haven't had this problem there, I have had other problems with one of the pharmacies, so I simply switched to another RA, and I'm happy there. I suggest that you take it up with the store manager, face to face. I would ask him if there is a problem with your (brand X) pills, and can he assure you that you will get them filled there from now on with no hassle. If he says there will be no problems, get his name and ask him what you should do if there is a hassle again (most likely he will tell you to talk to the manager on duty and he will make sure that everyone knows that your scripts will be filled). I would rather see this woman get in trouble then just have you change stores (I'd hate for her to think that she has won, they never think that someone just changed stores, they've won and the slut doesn't take her evil pills anymore!). If your scripts were really expired, she should have emailed your Drs office for new ones (that is what my pharmacy tech does at our RA, as a matter of fact, my PT emailed my Drs office when the insurance wouldn't cover my OrthoTricycline low to ask if we could change it to regular OTC so I could have a generic that the insurance would cover, she rocks!)

[polabear]

If it is Walgreens, they have an EXCELLENT website where you can transfer the prescription where ever you wish. I just fill my prescriptions wherever is convenient via the website.

If you write a complaint letter, you can include copies of your records from the website showing that they weren't expired.

[BlondeAsTheyCome]

You have received a lot of good advice here. I'm probably preaching to the choir, but my DH is a pharmacist, so I think that informs my perspective a bit. I would try and talk to to the pharmacy manager, unless the nasty pharmacist is the pharmacy manager, first. The pharmacy manager will have direct say over the nasty pharmacist. The pharmacy manager can make the nasty pharmacist's life pretty miserable, so it might be worth it to have a conversation with him/her. If that gets you nowhere, I would then move up the corporate ladder.

As far as it being legal or not for her to refuse your bc, in PA, where my DH practices, he has the right to refuse to fill an rx, BUT there has to be another pharmacist there to fill it. From reading this thread, it sounds like a very similar legal situation happens in Maryland.

I'm also really, really surprised that you had problems with that particular pharmacy chain. My husband is practically in love with the company, and he doesn't even work for them. They have a fantastic reputation and lead retail pharmacy in incorporating new/better practices. I guess the saying of there being a bad apple in every bunch holds true in this situation too.

I'm sorry that you are having to go through this! I hope that things get better for you!

Edited to add:

Internet and mail order pharmacies are NOTORIOUS for not getting medications out on time, wrong medicines/doses, not being properly packaged, etc.

[sugaree]

All this talk about pharmacist conscience clauses makes me wonder: has there ever been a case where a pharmacist refused to fill a script because of a moral objection not related to birth control or Plan B? I cannot imagine a pharmacist refusing to dish out the Vicodin because she thought the client was a drug-seeker, or the Adderall because she thought ADHD was over-diagnosed in boys, and keeping her job. I mean, surely there are pharmacists out there who think Viagra is not necessary, or has moral qualms about drugs tested on animals, right? And yet this moral objection thing only pops up when the topic at hand is women's reproductive health.

[GeoBQn]

I looked around Google. Right now, there's issues with pharmacists in Florida refusing to fill scripts for certain pain medications, but that's mainly because of issues with a new state law. I found one thread on an ADD forum from a woman complaining that pharmacists refuse to fill her unusually high Ritalin prescription. The rest are all birth control/abortion related. There was an incident in Idaho last year of a Planned Parenthood nurse who called in a prescription for Methergine, a medication used to control bleeding after childbirth or abortion. The pharmacist refused to fill it unless she revealed whether the patient had an abortion or not. The nurse refused to break confidentiality, and when she asked for a referral to another pharmacy the pharmacist hung up.

[Kitchen Princess]

Next time ask her if she thinks lying is a sin, too.

[mockingbird]

There was an incident in Idaho last year of a Planned Parenthood nurse who called in a prescription for Methergine, a medication used to control bleeding after childbirth or abortion. The pharmacist refused to fill it unless she revealed whether the patient had an abortion or not. The nurse refused to break confidentiality, and when she asked for a referral to another pharmacy the pharmacist hung up.

WTF? I'm glad the nurse didn't break confidentiality and kept trying to get the prescription filled, though.

When I was looking at one of those websites, there were a number of states whose pharmacist conscience laws covered refusing any drug. Another was any that they "believed" to cause an abortion vs. specifically emergency contraception or birth control.

[muffynbear]

I'm sorry, but if some bible-thumping pharmacist denied me birth control, then I would go bat shit and remind her that I will be speaking to HER manager first thing in the morning and corporate. Yeah, I'm a bitch about things like this. This would not fly with me at all. Heads would roll if that happened to me. Complain, complain, complain to corporate!

[doggie]

Thought it would be hard it would be fun to see her face when you told her you are a virgin so her judgment is very off so that shows her faith is a bit off since it makes mistakes.

[mirele]

Edited to add:

Internet and mail order pharmacies are NOTORIOUS for not getting medications out on time, wrong medicines/doses, not being properly packaged, etc.

Yeah, I recently switched to mail order for my drugs, and gosh, if the drug in the cold pack was somewhat, uh, not super cold when it got to me. (It can get up to 86 degrees without affecting it, but Jeebus H. Christmas, this is Arizona. It can be hot one day and cold the next, even in the fall.) The next time I order, I'm going to put an explicit note on it--"Medicine must be shipped cold and completely closed. I will return it if it arrives like it did last time." The name of the mail order pharmacy begins with California and ends with Kansas.