OT Birth Control

[Deanna]

wow this is the first i'm hearing about this. amazing. i can't belive a public pharmacy can refuse to fill a Rx. not only that but not give back the Rx to take it to another pharmacy.

I think it's being allowed because we really don't have "public" pharmacies in the United States. They're all privately owned--so they can make their own rules. I repeat myself here, but vote/show support with your wallets!! If the pharmacy I used decided to stop selling birth control (even though I get mine in the doctors office) I would not spend one cent in that store again. And do you really want to use a pharmacist ignorant enough to not be aware of the other benefits of birth control pills?

[mimitabby]

And do you really want to use a pharmacist ignorant enough to not be aware of the other benefits of birth control pills?

Is it about ignorance (i don't think they're ignorant of what you can do with the pills) or more like, NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
Can you imagine being in that position, in a line at the drugstore having to explain to some idiot that no, it's not for that, it's for this!
But it HAS happened to some woman...

[Lenusik]

"...allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions based on their personal, moral or religious objections"

So, moral objectives? Hmm, very interesting. And who has a right to decide who's got good or bad moral objectives or whose religion is better than someone else's. Or if a drug adict decides that she needs a pill, and because of her "morals" she is not given one. Is she supposed to have a baby in her condition? What a stupid bill. Just stupid!

[7rider]

My fantasy conversation with this pharmacist:
"So.....Pharmacist....
You don't want to fill my prescription because you are morally opposed to birth control?
Geez, that's great. To each his own. You are very welcome to hold that view.
I, however, am not morally opposed to birth control.
So how about this?
You give me what my doctor has legally prescribed to me, and YOU don't have to take the pill????
What is the problem here???"

[Lise]

If a pharmacists do not want to dispense medications, they should not accept the paycheck from the employer who hired them to dispense medications. Problem solved.

[WrensMom]

This entire topic makes me nuts. I think I did hear that the state of Illinois passed a law that makes it illegal for a pharmacist to refuse to dispense a prescription, though. Kudos to them!

[DrBee]

I received my petition in the mail today!

[Deanna]

If a pharmacists do not want to dispense medications, they should not accept the paycheck from the employer who hired them to dispense medications. Problem solved.

The employers are allowing individual pharmacists to make their own decisions.

[btchance]

Personally, I find this all ridiculous. During the birth control lecture we had, the doctor went out of her way to point out to us that just because we can prescribe the morning after pill to our patients doesn't equal them being able to get it filled. Apparently there are only 2-3 pharmacies in Birmingham that will give it out, which is just horrific.

As a side note, what the doctors are taught about birth control is not exactly the same as what the pharmacists are taught. Our lecturer went through a number of "myths" about birth control and side effects, then when I mentioned these to a friend who just graduated from pharmacy school, guess what? She was taught that all these "myths" were true! So which one is right? I sure don't know. I do know that everyone should have access to birth control and the morning after pill. Anything less is wrong for the woman, her partner, and any future children she may have because she was unable to prevent it. This sort of thing should never happen, in my opinion.

[Saxa82]

What's even freakier, but just as morally wrong, is that most insurance companies in the US will not cover prescription birth control methods. But does anyone kow if BC pills are covered under insurance plans if they are used off-schedule, that is for purposes such as peri-menopausal hormone therapy or other reasons such as have been described by other women on this thread?

[Pyannyplayer]

My insurance is covering mine and I'm not taking them for birth control. Still, I have to spend $10 every three weeks for them. Oh well. I told my husband that if he felt like it, he could call me hormonal any time he wanted - because it will be true (He wouldn't do that, though, because he's a wonderful man )

Lorie