Texas pharmacist refuses pill for rape victim

[Ben Kenobi]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4155229/

Texas pharmacist refuses pill for rape victim

Woman with doctor's prescription for drug turned away

Updated: 6:15 p.m. ET Feb. 03, 2004DALLAS - A Texas pharmacist was disciplined for refusing to fill the prescription of a rape victim seeking a morning-after pregnancy-prevention pill, the pharmacy chain that employed the man said on Tuesday.

Eckerd Corp. said the pharmacist considered it a violation of morals to give a rape victim, with a valid prescription, a pill that would prevent her from getting pregnant due to the sexual assault.

The incident took place on Jan. 23 at an Eckerd drug store in the Dallas suburb of Denton.

Eckerd spokeswoman Joan Gallagher said she could not give details of the disciplinary actions, but that the pharmacist had violated company policy.

“A pharmacist is obliged to fill a prescription if it is a valid, legal prescription,” she said. “We do not make exceptions for any moral, religious or ethical concerns with regard to filling the prescription.”

Florida-based Eckerd is owned by Texas-based retailer J.C. Penney Co.

Protesters, carrying signs reading “Got Raped? Let someone else help you” and “Rape violates my morals,” have been picketing the store this week.

Kathryn Allen, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of North Texas, said the situation could have been avoided if hospitals in the state mandated emergency contraception in sexual assault cases. Other states stipulate that hospitals must make emergency contraception available to victims of sexual assault, but Texas does not.

“What this pharmacist did was truly outrageous. It forces the woman to relive the assault,” said Allen, adding that the prescription in question is essentially a high dose of birth control pills that prevents pregnancy.

The rape victim was able to have her prescription filled at another pharmacy in the area, they said.

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I fail to see why convenience to women should override freedom of conscience. Pharmacists should not have to prescribe a drug to which they are morally opposed.

[GePap]

Re: Texas pharmacist refuses pill for rape victim

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


I fail to see why convenience to women should override freedom of conscience. Pharmacists should not have to prescribe a drug to which they are morally opposed.

Another one of these: this man is an employee of the Eckhard chain, which as far as we know, does not have a policy allowing its pharmacists to decide for themselves what legal prescription they will fill or not.

If this was a privately owned pharmacy, maybe. But this man in an employee of a national chain. Sorry, but he doe not get to make policy for the chain.
If he cares so much, he should quit and start his own pharmacy.

[MrFun]

Re: Texas pharmacist refuses pill for rape victim

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi


I fail to see why convenience to women should override freedom of conscience. Pharmacists should not have to prescribe a drug to which they are morally opposed.

If a woman was raped, she has EVERY right to do anything she decides upon, to find ways to heal from that rape as long as it does not harm another sentient person.

Damn Bennie -- this is one of your most unfair, narrow minded posts recently.

[chequita guevara]

Scumbag. And that goes for you too, Ben.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Re: Texas pharmacist refuses pill for rape victim

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
I fail to see why convenience to women should override freedom of conscience. Pharmacists should not have to prescribe a drug to which they are morally opposed.

I'm sure it was real convenient getting raped. If she got knocked up as a result, well, that's just God's will, right?

If someone has a "moral opposition" to filling a legally valid prescription, he or she shouldn't be a pharmacist.

[Gibsie]

I don't think I've read a thread that's so filled me with contempt in a long while.

[Verres]

I fail to see why convenience to women should override freedom of conscience. Pharmacists should not have to prescribe a drug to which they are morally opposed.

The pharmacist gets paid to do a job. Simple. He knew when he took it on that it may involve prescribing treatments that he was 'morally opposed to' and if he considered this to be the overriding factor then he should not hjave taken on the job in the first place.

[Barinthus]

Re: Re: Texas pharmacist refuses pill for rape victim

Originally posted by GePap


Another one of these: this man is an employee of the Eckhard chain, which as far as we know, does not have a policy allowing its pharmacists to decide for themselves what legal prescription they will fill or not.

If this was a privately owned pharmacy, maybe. But this man in an employee of a national chain. Sorry, but he doe not get to make policy for the chain.
If he cares so much, he should quit and start his own pharmacy.

This is an outrage. And, GePap, I agree.

I really hate, abhor, despite (and all other words you can think of) people who override policies with their moral concerns. The woman came to this pharmacy expecting her prescription to be filled, knowing that the pharmacy cannot turn her away. If there was an established policy that the chain will not fill that specific kind of prescription, that's a different story. The pharmacist absolutely had no right to do this.

[GePap]

Will this thread stay up long enough for the defenders of his guy to show up? probalby.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Asks the guy who just had to bump the thread with that question.

[GePap]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
Asks the guy who just had to bump the thread with that question.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by GePap

and you laugh

[Japher]

Prescibing medication is not the job of the pharmicist, that is the doctors job.

[Verres]

I fail to see why convenience to women should override freedom of conscience.

Perhaps the rapist was morally opposed to consential sex...im sure thats far more imporatant than the woman being 'inconvenienced' by rape.

[Hueij]

Originally posted by GePap
Will this thread stay up long enough for the defenders of his guy to show up? probalby.

I hope not. I would be very disappointed if, besides Ben, there are people on Apolyton that would condone (sp?) such an act.

BTW, this is the first time I've seen rape being described as "convenience to women"