NM Woman Denied BC Because of Pharmacist's Religion

[slickcat79]

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

I actually feel like there may be more to this story than is represented here, but all the articles I've found about it are short and not incredibly detailed. I brought it up because...

This issue was raised on anther board that I frequent, and it really made me want to pull my hair out that most of the women on that board were perfectly happy to defend the pharmacist's "religious freedom". As if they never even consider the fact that a shit-ton of discrimination is carried out under the guise of religious beliefs, because often times those highly religious people can get away with it under those circumstances. I also suggested that the pharmacist shouldn't be allowed to refuse a prescription to women because he thinks they're sluts.

Ohh, I got called out on that one straightaway. Apparently "sluts" is an derogatory term :roll: No shit, sherlock, that's why I used it. You are the one defending this man's right to deny legal, physician-prescribed medical care to someone based on their gender. Which one of us is being derogatory? If he thinks it's immoral to even sell the BC pills, what must he think of the women who take them? I seriously doubt the pharmacist in question locks up the condoms and refuses to sell them to men. Oh, and the next comment was the best:

Personally, I am quite shocked that people do not have more empathy for a pharmacist who is struggling with this problem.

:shock: Really? Don't bring your religious beliefs to work for a secular organization and you won't have a problem. It's not like you just wake up one day and decide to be a pharmacist. He had to know before going through years and years of school to become a pharmacist that this would come up. So why go into it in the first place? The mind boggles.

[Miranda]

I don't get what's so hard to understand about the concept that one person's right to religious freedom ends when it infringes on the rights of another. Pharmacists are there to provide a service, that of dispensing medication to people with prescriptions. They're not there to pass judgment on the people passing through their doors. If one can't fulfill the duties and responsibilities of their position, then it's time to look for another line of work.

[ceg045]

I have a HS friend (though she's pissing my off mightily, for reasons I'm about to relate) currently in pharmacy school. She's super-devout Catholic and posts this anti-BC shit all the time. One time she posted something like, "We don't force Quakers to join the military and we don't force Jehovah's Witnesses to take medication, so WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING ME?"

I was tempted to respond that it's a false comparison. If a Quaker voluntarily joined the military and then refused to go into battle, I would absolutely have a problem with that. If a JW became a doctor or pharmacist then refused to provide medicine, then you bet your ass I'd raise hell.

Providing prescriptions, including birth control, is in a pharmacist's job description. If you don't like that, fine. DON'T BECOME A DAMN PHARMACIST. We'd all be much happier.

[doggie]

This is so stupid. But hey what is a poor persecuted christian going to do? a few months ago there was another one of these and the judges ruled that the pharmacy had the right to refuse selling the morning after pill. they said pharmacies can choose not to sell drugs because of cost or safety so why not for religious reasons? It's always ok for a christian to violate others faith but it is never ok to have yours violated.

[doggie]

I don't get what's so hard to understand about the concept that one person's right to religious freedom ends when it infringes on the rights of another. Pharmacists are there to provide a service, that of dispensing medication to people with prescriptions. They're not there to pass judgment on the people passing through their doors. If one can't fulfill the duties and responsibilities of their position, then it's time to look for another line of work.

Because them Christians are so persecuted they just can't take it anymore and need everyone to follow their faith.

[BravaAmica]

I used to work at a Walgreens and at the time they did not allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense prescriptions. As long as it was a legitimate prescription, the pharmacist on duty had to fill it. None of this religious objection bullshit.

[muffynbear]

If any pharmacist were to deny me my BC based on their religious or moral objections, my head would spin like Linda Blair in The Exorcist. I would be spewing venom. Then I would be calling their corporate office everyday until I receive an apology. It is never OK to discriminate and use the excuse that your 'religion ' is the reason. What an asshole pharmacist.

[CanadianHippie]

This reminds me of a conversation I had back in the fall. Someone, who was planning to be a legal assistant (meaning the get to do all the busy work like filling out and filing forms such as an application for divorce) said she was hoping to work in a family law office then went on to say "but I won't do anything relating to divorce" saying that divorce was wrong and children always did better when parents stayed together, etc, etc, etc. I ask right out, if she didn't want to deal with divorce, why would she work in a family law office if she wasn't willing to do certain parts of the job. She never actually answered, just started again about how once your married you have no right to break up.

[BlondeAsTheyCome]

My DH is a pharmacist. Legally, in the state of Pennsylvania, he has the right to refuse to fill a prescription if it infringes on his moral/religious beliefs, BUT, in order to refuse to fill it, there must be another pharm. tech or pharmacist who can fill it. If there is not, he has to fill it. I can't speak for any other states laws regarding this. I just remember it from when I was helping him study for the law portion after he passed NAPLEX.

He wouldn't ever refuse to fill a script, but he does have the right to, if other means of filling it are available. He doesn't work in a regular pharmacy though. He works in a specialized sub-field of pharmacy, which means that he doesn't have to deal with issues like this one.

[mirele]

These people would scream bloody murder if a Muslim refused to ring up your bacon or a Mormon decided he couldn't check out your booze and coffee. But because it's evil birth control, it's perfectly OK.

(For the record, I've never heard of a Mormon refusing to sell coffee and liquor, I live in a city founded by Mormons in the Jell-O belt and hard liquor is available at grocery stores, convenience stores and drug stores. I don't know if a Muslim would balk at scanning my Johnsonville Brats.)