It’s probably inevitable that the “morning-after pill” debates now under way in many state legislatures will reach Kansas, which is usually fertile ground for such social controversies. But so far, lawmakers seem preoccupied with more pressing issues.
Many states, prompted by pharmacists’ refusal on moral grounds to fill emergency contraceptive requests, are considering bills that would require pharmacists to fill prescriptions. Some states are looking at restricting access through parental notification or other measures.
Kansas law is vague on a pharmacist’s authority to withhold drugs, according to Debra Billingsley, executive director of the Kansas Board of Pharmacy, who told the Lawrence Journal-World that pharmacists could cite “professional discretion” in denying drug requests, although the law is silent on doing so for moral reasons.
It might help to clarify Kansas law to ensure consumers have access to emergency contraception, but do we trust state lawmakers to do it?
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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37 Comments
Randy,A perfect example of a bad question: “but do we trust state lawmakers to do it?” What else do we vote lawmakers in for? What do you propose we do to pick and choose which issues we decide to “trust” them with?
If lawmakers make choices we don’t agree with, we should replace them with lawmakers we do agree with by electing them. But to wonder if we can trust them to vote our way on any particular issue is a bit arrogant, don’t you think? Also a bit hindsighted. Next.
I wrote a letter to Walgreens about the incident here in Wichita. The letter that they replied with discussed a case in Illinois instead. (organized aren’t they?) The gist was that there was a law in Illinois to exclude the pharmacist, which in their eyes took away their responsibility.I replied back that this incident was in Kansas, not Illinois. Asked for statistics on just how often and in how many states this happened. received nothing back.
If Walgreens, walmart and all pharmacies will not stock/fill prescriptions on this product, then I’d like to see viagra banned as well.
I’m not joking.
Great point Sum1. How hypocritical to sell viagra, but not the protection a woman needs as a result of it.
If men could be pregnant, we would have had safe and legal contraception and safe and legal abortion long ago.
Ladies…you know what to do! Or not do…lololololol
If pharmacists are allowed to refuse to fill ’scripts on moral grounds, how long will it be before a non-drinking clerk refuses to ring up your beer in the grocery store, or a vegetarian checker refuses to ring up your meat?
How long before a greenpeace party member working in a convenience store wont sell that mean old petroleum? How long before that anti-violence walmart clerk wont sell you that gun? Or ammunition? OR the PETA worker wont sell you a hunting license?
How about when that conservative or liberal convenience store wont sell the WE? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.
How long before an athiest ordertaker refuses to send out that bible you ordered? LOL, it would offend my sensibilities in a call center if I had to mail out bibles or crosses.
Gee, do ya think maybe I just shouldnt work in a mail order bible house? Same for the druggists who cant fill scripts based on moral grounds.
How about a christian pharmacy where they can work and only dispense drugs approved of by their church! I wonder how much money that would make.
You don’t understand damoon and ksgirl. The sole purpose of the female is to be “done to” by the male. If you don’t like getting pregnant you should practice oral. Remember, that is even OK with underage girls!
whats wrong with the market deciding. if a pharmacist owns his business does he have to prescribe every drug available or can he make the concious decision not prescibe say viagra or the morning after pill. if a company say walgreens decides not to prescribe either why do we need a law saying they have to. should be plenty of other pharmacies that will.
where does govt intrusion stop. this is a decision that the business should make knowing full well it may cost them business
Look.. in the end, economics will rule the day. Although I would find it troubling to legally force a pharmacist in his own business to sell something he does not believe he should on religious grounds; if he chooses to work at a corporate pharmacy, he/she should sell what they have. I think the corporate pharmacies will all fall in line soon, when the media spotlight is turned off.On the other hand, personally, I don’t believe that there really is a moral ground for not selling this stuff any more than there is a moral ground for not selling guns because someone may shoot someone with them.On the third hand(lol) courts are beginning to hold bartenders, gun salesmen, etc responsible for what they sell. What if someone sues a pharmacist because they sold this drug to someone that has a reaction and dies? Then we have a whole new legal environment to deal with!
Scott,Suppose the only pharmacist in your area is a devout buddhist who refuses to sell antibiotics because they are harmful to bacteria, a lifeform eventually capable of achieving Nirvana. Do you really want the marketplace deciding whether you live or not?
jed,
yes i do, not because of teh morality, but because i want the govt out of everything possible. i can come up with absurd hypotheticals to. suppose the only abortion provider is in dodge. do i force wichita health clinics to provide abortions so it will be easier. is that what you want? to be in a situation where the govt forces every business to offer everything they believe they should so its easier to get everything, but likely more costly. i don’teventually the market forces options to come to the forefront, especially when govt stays out. theer are many things i can’y get as easilty as i want, and i’ve learned to adapt or do without
A comment to the ladies about Viagra. Viagra doesn’t kill babies.
Anonymous, No, Viagra doesn’t kill babies, it just helps create unwanted ones.
Scott, I agree with you. Living in a free country means not being forced to do sometning that goes against your values. If a privately owned pharmacy doesn’t want to sell certain drugs, they shouldn’t be forced to. There will be plenty of other pharmacies that will carry the drug if there is a demand for it.
Scott,Is my absurd hypothetical more absurd than the reality of a pharmacy that only provides the drugs approved by the pharmacist’s church?Regarding abortion clinics, the reason they’re in short supply is that christian terrorists shoot doctors and bomb clinics.
Another reason why they are in short supply is because many doctors refuse to do abortions based on moral grounds. Being an abortionist is not a respected specialty in the medical field.
Jed, Catholic hospitals have never and will never do abortions or depense birth control. Why is this an issue?
Damoon,
I think that Jed and his ilk want the following in America.
EU to Catholic Doctors: Thou Shalt AbortFrom the desk of Paul Belien on Sat, 2005-12-24 15:21Do abortionists wish each other a Merry Christmas?
Every year one in three pregnancies worldwide ends in an abortion. A total of 40 million abortions are performed each year, which means that since 1980 one billion children have not been allowed to be born. Contemplating Baby Jesus in the crib one may wonder whether the fact that there are 6.5 billion of us today instead of 7.5 billion is a human achievement or not. Some think it is, some think it is not. But why do those who consider universal legalised abortion to be a sign of progress want to force those who regard abortion as a crime to be a part of it?
A European Union advisory panel has issued a statement saying that medical professionals are not allowed to refuse to participate in abortions. According to the EU Network of Independent Experts on Fundamental Rights doctors should be forced to perform abortions, even if they have conscientious objections, because the right to abort a child is an “international human right.”http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/596
V.L.R.B!!
the West is contracepting and aborting itself out of existence. The Catholics and the Muslims who are true to their faith shall inherit the earth.
A simple solution to it all, outlaw abortion and legalize cannibalism! the world would not have an excess of people and the problem of feeding the world’s hungry would be solved. Everyone regardless of their intelligence, background or political party would truly have a purpose in life!
I’d like to see the signs posted if there is a pharmacist who won’t do his job.This simple solution will prevent a woman from degrading herself asking for help.People like me will know to exit the store and go to another to purchase the products I need.
Maybe another solution would be to just ban all birthcontrol forms.
I see the marketplace caused walmart to cave on the morning after pill.
I saw on NBC news last night that scientists within the FDA say this pill is safe enough to be sold over the counter, and they made that recommendation. It was rejected by bush political appointees at the top, and the FDA director of women’s health issues resigned over the flap.
Word is that FDA will indeed approve this pill for over the counter distribution. It just wont do so until after the 06 elections.
Another “base” issue?
I hate to see women depend on a birth control that’s only about 80% effective, and even less the more you use it as such. It had better come with a big warning label if it’s going to be sold someday OTC.
I agree damoon. Education is still the key.
I just posted it to show that “safety” is no more an issue here than it is for any other drug. Vioxx anyone? There was talk of making those drugs over the counter too.
Why don’t you degenerates simply accept responsibility for your promiscuous behavior? The problem with CrusaderX and other miscreants is that they weren’t aborted with a morning after pill. I wish they would invent an “after-being-born” pill to take care of CrusaderX and his brothers Jed, Damoon, and Ian. What’s with this character Ian? Does he (or it) have some kind of electronic Tourette’s syndrome?
truth,
I take it that you are not coming to the picnic, right? rotflmosrfao
PS: When exactly did I become a character?
V.L.R.B!!
Ian,Where did you escape from? A white supremacist holding cell in Montana? Could you at least say it right? It should be Viva La Raza Blanca. Also, I am glad you practice safe sex. I hear there will be some “buns” at the picnic.
truth,
I am a White Nationalist; I am not a White supremacist!
V.L.R.B!!
Ian,How can you be white? You are a Hispanic, aren’t you?
Ian, by the way, I said you were in a “holding cell” in Montana. That means you are not one of them, but someone they have locked up to keep their race pure white.
truth,
We have been over this already. “Hispanic/latino” are useless terms and people should be forced to identify as White, black, mulatto, mestizo or indio, period!
V.L.R.B!!
Ian,But which one are you? I believe you are Cuban, which means you are typically Spanish or black. So you would be indistinguishable from Mexican (Spanish) or black?
truth,
Mexicans are a bad example as only 10% of Mexicans are White! I am 6 ft 3 and I have light brown hair and light blue eyes and people are usaully shocked that I have a Spanish surname. Have you ever been to Spain or Argentina or Uruguay?
V.L.R.B!!
Spain or Argentina or Uruguay? If I was there and saw a tall blonde, blue-eyed guy, I’d just assume he was a Nazi war criminal hiding under an assumed hispanic name!
Y’know, it used to be the customer who was always right. Businesses provided service instead of sermons.
Truth,Weren’t you the same asshole who rushed to Ian’s defense ranting about how the term “Hispanic” couldn’t apply to him? Well? You just refuted your earlier claims anthropologist boy! You really are a f*ckin idiot, you can’t even stick to your own argument!
If a pharmacist doesn’t want to sellECs then his pharmacy shouldn’t carry any. Don’t put it on the shelves if I can’t get one!