pharmacist fired for refusing abortion pill script

[Seany-D]

www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/02/12/pharmacy.firing.ap/index.html

in a nutshell: woman gets raped, wants abortion pill, pharmacist refuses to fill, woman goes elsewhere, chain fires the pharmacist.

The part I find interesting is the fact that the fellow states that if he knew that refusal to fill a script was against company policy that he could get fired, he wouldn't have done it, but he claims to have taken action on moral/spiritual grounds after consulting a pastor. What difference should the rule make, based on an appeal to spiritual authority?

Sean "fills his prescriptions at the liquor store" Davis

[Ravenlock]

Seany-D said:

www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/02/12/pharmacy.firing.ap/index.html

in a nutshell: woman gets raped, wants abortion pill, pharmacist refuses to fill, woman goes elsewhere, chain fires the pharmacist.

The part I find interesting is the fact that the fellow states that if he knew that refusal to fill a script was against company policy that he could get fired, he wouldn't have done it, but he claims to have taken action on moral/spiritual grounds after consulting a pastor. What difference should the rule make, based on an appeal to spiritual authority?

Sean "fills his prescriptions at the liquor store" Davis

But its not even the abortion pill (RU486); it's the frellin morning after pill! This guy presumably had no problem filling a ton of birth control pills - it's the same damned chemical! Just a higher amount.

And if he's concerned about fertilization overnight, was he not paying attention in bio? It takes a good long time for sperm to find, penetrate, and fertilize an egg. And if he wants to go that route, there's still no difference between this and the birth control pill. It's well known that women on the pill are sometimes losing fertilized as well as unfertilized eggs. But he doesn't say anything about that.

Actually, Sean, I think he says that he would have done it:

Stupid Pharmacist:
"In my mind if I agree to work for someone knowing that that's their policy, then I should submit to that policy. But I didn't even know about it," he said.

Still, ignorance is no excuse. When you sign on with any company that has an employee handbook, they make you sign a statement that says you understand that the terms of your employment are contained within, and that you are responsible for being aware of all policies. And then your point, Sean, is also quite good. It shouldn't make a damned bit of difference, in his mind. If he's going to go to the mat for his fubar principles, then he should be prepared to go all the way.

And above all this: What right does he have? This woman was raped. She's the one trying to make a responsible decision about what to do about it, and he's content to make a decision that may affect the rest of her life. What if he was the only pharmacist in a long distance and she was without a car? Then what? If the egg is fertilized and implants, she's got a whole extra level of fucked-up decisions to make.

Damn.

~Roger "a 10.00 copay for that!?" Smith

[Frogsy]

Not even to mention the fact that this woman was just violated in an ungodly (no pun intended) horrible way... she doesn't need somebody shoving their religious bullshit dogma in her face to boot. What right does he have to tell her she's wrong?

-Jessica "great, now my blood is boiling" Leiby

[Seany-D]

I'll point out, just for our sanity, that she was able to go to a neighboring pharmacy, where the script was filled. Frankly, if I were a pharmicist that was that devoted to my religion (and I am seriously questioning his devotion in light of his "cover your ass" remarks to the press), I would either look for a different line of work or attempt to find a way that I could parlay my pharmeceutical training into a job where I would not be possibly filling scripts for birth control and abortion pills.

I think this issue highlights the whole church/state separation that we were lovingly immersed in earlier. The government has deemed it legal to use morning-after pills (not to mention abortion), but several religions frown on it. What right does the pharmacist have to withhold a prescription like that? Furthermore, does he have a right to counsel the patient? If the patient asks for advice, it's a no-brainer, but does the pharmacist have the right to offer counsel (or opinion, as I would see it) without patient consent?

Sean "I can fill this, but you're going to hell" Davis

[profdunebastard]

My Mom had had a surgery once and she was overheard by her Muslim nurse telling my Uncle to serve us kids barbecue pork with dinner. Apparently she went on this long spiel about the evils of pork and even said that if pork was sealed in a jar it would spontaneously sprout maggots because it was the devil's meat and that if my mom loved her children she would not serve it. The problem was she was serving as a nurse, so dietary and health related advice can fall under her duties. To preach like that seems sumilar to what the pharmacist did, and it pisses me off.

[Seany-D]

profdunebastard said:

My Mom had had a surgery once and she was overheard by her Muslim nurse telling my Uncle to serve us kids barbecue pork with dinner. Apparently she went on this long spiel about the evils of pork and even said that if pork was sealed in a jar it would spontaneously sprout maggots because it was the devil's meat and that if my mom loved her children she would not serve it. The problem was she was serving as a nurse, so dietary and health related advice can fall under her duties. To preach like that seems sumilar to what the pharmacist did, and it pisses me off.

But don't you expect the "advice" that is given to you by a health professional to be based on science, not religion? When I was home over the holidays with my goddaughter in the hospital, I took note of the number of "meditative" rooms and clergymen (-women too) available for counseling/advice/etc. I was particularly pleased to note that there was a Muslim cleric available too, as this was a very Jewish (and very good) hosiptal (in fact, it was mentioned in Sunday's Lansing State Journal -- Sinai Hospital). Seems to me that I would want to have my spiritual advice kept separate from my scientific advice. Most decent hospitals provide some sort of faith-based counseling appropriate for the patients's needs; if on-site clergy aren't retained, most places will do a good job of locating someone willing to come in. If I found that unsolicited(*) advice given to me by a doctor or nurse during working hours was based on faith, I'd move to have that person's license to practice examined. I want my medical advice to be based on science, not faith.

Sean "leave the preaching to the preachers" Davis

(*) if, however, I were to ask for spiritual advice from a healthcare professional (control your snickering, please), I would consider that a moot point.