If you believe in birth control...

[mickeyluv'r]

I know this is a loaded topic, so I'll try to be careful here. I don't want to spark a debate about what form of birth control is right, I merely wish to inform others of a disturbing precedent that needs to be addressed.

I know some people believe that abortion and the day after pill are wrong, and I can understand that. I also understand that some people don't think they should take the birth control pill. I understand that too. I agree strongly that it is a personal choice.

I was appalled to learn however, that at three large retail chains pharmacists in numerous states are allowed to refuse to fill prescriptions for regular birth control pills. Not only that, but they don't have to turn over the prescription to the customer so that they can take it elsewhere. This scares me tremendously. There are many reasons why women take birth control pills, preventing pregnancy is only one of them. Refusing to fill prescriptions will put many women's health at risk! And where does this stop, what if your pharmacist doesn't like Viagra, or some other medication - will they refuse those as well?

The three chains are Target, Wal-mart and Winn-Dixie.

If you disagree with this policy, please contact these companies and let them know. If you know of others, please let me know. This is a very important issue.

Again, I'm not looking to spark a debate on whether someone should take the pill or not. I'm merely saying that if prescribed, a woman should be able to get it filled at all pharmacies in this country.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I may have the wrong information, maybe someone else can clarify...I thought I read an article where Walmart was being sued for not stocking the "morning after pill" because most states have a law stating that pharmacies have to carry all commonly prescribed meds and Walmart didn't. I didn't think birth control pills were mentioned, though.

 

[TravelinGal]

Wow - if your information is correct, then that is appalling. Especially the part where they can keep the RX script! It's one thing to refuse service (as any business is entitled to do) but to keep the doctors prescription so you can't get it filled elsewhere... Poor Form.

I appreciate the diplomatic way you posted this. I hope everyone who reads it feels the same and doesn't start flaming wars.

 

[my3kids]

I'm not sure the information in the OP's post is exactly accurate. Where is this official policy written?

 

[beckmrk04]

I may have the wrong information, maybe someone else can clarify...I thought I read an article where Walmart was being sued for not stocking the "morning after pill" because most states have a law stating that pharmacies have to carry all commonly prescribed meds and Walmart didn't. I didn't think birth control pills were mentioned, though.

Actually, IL is one of the only states (not sure which the others are) that require wal-mart to carry the morning after pill- and you are right, wal-mart is now being sued, on the basis that the morning after pill should be required to be stocked as a commonly prescribed medicine.

And mickeyluv'r: thank you for bringing up this topic!! it is one very near and dear to me, and I won't go into my politics, but you are very right because it should not be up to someone else to decide what medicine it is morally "ok" for me or you to take!! I will decide that with my Dr., thank you very much! BUT- I don't think they are refusing regular birth control pills. I am pretty up to date on my info, and have not heard of this... If you want to find more info try Planned parenthood's website or the National Organization for Women's website. ANd I have contacted Target and Wal-Mart... Target wrote back, Wal-Mart hasn't.

AND- let me also clarify for people who aren't clear on the "morning after pill" vs. the abortion pill. The morning after pill is simply a very high dose of birth control pills (much like if you were to swallow three of your regular pills all at once) and it simply prevents a pregnancy from happening, and if you were already pregnant, it would neither terminate your pregnancy nor harm the fetus (I worked in a sexual assault crisis clinic). I say this because it often gets confused with the abortion pill, which is a whole different medicine and topic.

 

[jenr812]

I hope not to offend anyone...because I love the non-Disney BUDGET tips, but there is a COMMUNITY BOARD for threads like these, that are not budget related AT ALL http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

 

[tracy51]

Not sure of 'official policy' at any chain but there have been articles on line and in the paper about pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control pills - some even refusing to hand over the script so the person could get the prescription filled elsewhere.

I'm sure this is a fine line area for many companies. As the pharmacists have cited their religious/moral beliefs as the reason for not filling these prescriptions, the companies have to be careful not to infringe on their employees religious beliefs.

At the same time, as a woman who was placed on birth control pills at the age of 15 for medical reasons not relating to preventing pregnancy - controlling complications due to Endometriosis to be exact - it does worry me that someone could not only not fill the prescription but prevent me from filling it elsewhere. I'm fortunate in that I could probably call my doctor and explain the situation and he would get me another prescription with no problem but not everyone may be able to do that.

I'm not sure how a middle ground on this can be found. I respect the pharmacists right to follow the beliefs of their religion and/or moral beliefs but it does set an interesting precedence for when those beliefs might infringe on others needs.

 

[salmoneous]

I'll go ahead and post, assuming this thread will get moved. I believe the entire pharmacy system in the US is about to come crashing down if the pharmacists continue to allow their members to choose which prescriptions they will and will not fill. Either this nonsense will stop, or pharmacists as we know them will cease to exist.

 

[pearlieq]

I'll post here pretty much what I sent to the mods...

I know a certain level of OT is tolerated on the budget boards, but I really don't want to do this here. We have the community board to discuss these issues, and I think that's a better place for this.

OP, I understand what you're trying to say, and for the record I agree with you, I just don't want this type of thing (which inevitably brings a debate, flame war, and the eventual closing of the thread) on the budget boards.

Things have been contentious enough around here lately!!!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Pearlieq - I understand what you're saying. I generally agree with you, but I thuoght this was too important to ignore, and as others have said, I do feel like this is a pretty interesting community. Indeed, If this thread does get at all contentious, I'll be the first to say shut it down.
I suppose in a very vague way -the topic is budget related, but I'll concede that that's taking a rather broad view of the issue.

As for information on the topic - Planned parenthood's website outlines this info in more detail. Several states have laws in effect already, and a number have proposed legislation pending. Many of them only deal with the morning after pill, but a number of them go beyond that. I am, of course, assuming the PP's website is accurate.

 

[froglady]

If Wal-Mart, Target, or Winn-Dixie were founded by a religious organization as a mission to serve the community, and their name clearly identified them as such ( as in St Jude's, Our Lady of Fatima, Baptist Hospital, etc) then I would not have a problem with them not filling prescriptions that go against their moral beliefs.

However, as far as I know, these companies were not founded by any organized religion. I'm not sure I would go so far as to demand that they fill any and all prescriptions, but I certainly object to a pharmacist refusing to dispense a drug that the pharmacy carries. I also object to a pharmacist keeping a valid, legal prescription without filling it! Now THAT should be illegal!

 

[my3kids]

Could you provide the link to the information on Planned Parenthood's website? I looked an all I found was this:

"If you have been denied birth control or emergency contraception (ECP) by a pharmacist or doctor, we may be able to help. Increasingly, individual pharmacists have refused to fill prescriptions for ECP’s, sometimes called the morning-after pill or Plan B. In one of many cases, a pharmacist in Denton, Texas refused to fill a rape survivor’s prescription for ECP’s, citing “religious convictions”. Some of the large corporate pharmacy chains are allowing this or refusing to stock the drugs altogether. Visit this site for news and updates in 2006. "

This isn't spelled out to say Target and Wal-Mart are now refusing to provide Birth control chain wide. I would love to read the information and if accurate will follow through with the companies individually. But, without anything official, I'm resistant to believing this is anything more than an urban legend in response to SOME pharmacists in SOME stores refusing to fill the prescriptions.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If Wal-Mart, Target, or Winn-Dixie were founded by a religious organization as a mission to serve the community, and their name clearly identified them as such ( as in St Jude's, Our Lady of Fatima, Baptist Hospital, etc) then I would not have a problem with them not filling prescriptions that go against their moral beliefs.

However, as far as I know, these companies were not founded by any organized religion. I'm not sure I would go so far as to demand that they fill any and all prescriptions, but I certainly object to a pharmacist refusing to dispense a drug that the pharmacy carries. I also object to a pharmacist keeping a valid, legal prescription without filling it! Now THAT should be illegal!

 

[beckmrk04]

Could you provide the link to the information on Planned Parenthood's website? I looked an all I found was this:

"If you have been denied birth control or emergency contraception (ECP) by a pharmacist or doctor, we may be able to help. Increasingly, individual pharmacists have refused to fill prescriptions for ECP’s, sometimes called the morning-after pill or Plan B. In one of many cases, a pharmacist in Denton, Texas refused to fill a rape survivor’s prescription for ECP’s, citing “religious convictions”. Some of the large corporate pharmacy chains are allowing this or refusing to stock the drugs altogether. Visit this site for news and updates in 2006. "

This isn't spelled out to say Target and Wal-Mart are now refusing to provide Birth control chain wide. I would love to read the information and if accurate will follow through with the companies individually. But, without anything official, I'm resistant to believing this is anything more than an urban legend in response to SOME pharmacists in SOME stores refusing to fill the prescriptions.

There is some more info at www.fillmypillsnow.com

Like I said earlier, I don't think that there is a widespread problem with Pharmacists refusing to fill any and all forms of birth control. The problem is more that they are refusing to fill the morning after pill. And yes, some pharmacists actually did keep the prescription- this happened in MO, not far from where I worked!

 

[DisDuck]

Related to this topic... I read a news article several days ago in NYTimes about a new town being built near Naples, FL. It is called Ave Maria and is founded/funded by the guy who started Domino's Pizza.

This is to be a 'strict' catholic town. According to the article, the developer is looking for a pharmacy to sign a lease for the mall which will located in the town. However, any pharmacy signing this lease will have a convenent in it that NO CONTRACEPTIONS of any kind can be sold/dispensed as contraception except for 'natural' is against catholic policy.

Interesting....

 

[mickeyluv'r]

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp...tsreports/fact-050418-pharmacist-refusals.xml

The actual company names were in a packet they mailed out. I also found this on tehir site:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp...essreleases/pr-050525-pharmacist-refusals.xml

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/files/portal/media/pressreleases/pr-051117-target.xml

 

[my3kids]

I looked at the links. Thanks for providing them. But, what they said, specifically about Target was in the second link you provided that Target was on their list of pharmicies with an unclear policy, meaning they didn't return the survey PP sent. In the second, PP said Tagget wasn't forth coming in its information about what happened with a pharmicist in Missouri and his refusal to fill a morning after pill prescription. No, he shouldn't have refused to fill the woman's script. But that is far different from Wal-Mart and Target having a newly instituted policy to not fill birth control pill prescriptions.

 

[pearlieq]

But that is far different from Wal-Mart and Target having a newly instituted policy to not fill birth control pill prescriptions.

No, but what they do have is a "conscience clause" which allows any of their pharmacists to refuse to dispense. I suppose it doesn't seem real until it happens to you, but it certainly CAN happen, even in your town (unless you're protected by law).

This is why I shop at CVS! They have a clear policy on the matter that I wholeheartedly support!

 

[Beth76]

I live near where the incident in MO took place. I don't recall hearing about this before. I'm very curious to get more info on this as I shop at Target A LOT. And while I don't use their pharmacy, if what these sites are saying is true, I find this truly abhorrant. I will not be happy giving my money to a company that has so little regard for its customers. And I don't care if it's "just a few". It ridiculous that anyone would refuse to fill a legal prescription and to not return the prescription is theft.

 

[my3kids]

and to not return the prescription is theft.

I agree. I have more of a problem with them keeping the prescription than with having to have another pharmicist fill the medicine.