Birth Control for Medicinal Reasons

[AmazingCreation]

Working in pharmacy over the past several years I have had to deal with the issue of dispensing Birth Control. To date, I have made a decision to have absolutely ***no involvement ***in the dispensing of Plan B. Additionally, I do not dispense B/C pills when it is specifically indicated on the script that it is for contraception.

Recently, I have been offered a position where I could be involved with the dispensing of a drug that has been deemed by the FDA to be life-threatening to fetal development. There is a program associated with this drug which requires evidence of B/C and a negative pregnancy test for the next month’s medication to be dispensed. The objective is to prevent/limit harm to a fetus. Patients who are found to be non-compliant (not using B/C) or pregnant are denied access to the drug.

My question is: would it be morally unsound of me to dispense a drug that requires B/C (to prevent pregnancy) to continue therapy?

 

[1ke]

I think you should discuss this with a spiritual director.

Contraception is a moral evil-- always. It is offensive that **abstaining **during treatment is not seen as a valid option and that doctors would try to *force *someone to commit a moral evil to get the drugs they need to treat their condition.

It seems that working for this company, directly involved in dispensing the drug, would be too close to direct cooperation for *my *comfort.

You should, however, talk it over with a priest or spiritual director.

 

[seekerz]

If you already dispense B/C pills I don’t see what the problem is, really. Not that I support their use, but if you are okay with dispensing for contraceptive purposes, why should the reason for the contraception bother you? Because they’re being “forced” to contracept?

It seems almost inevitable that any birth defects arising from conception while taking this drug, will give rise to lawsuits, regardless of how many pieces of paper the users sign agreeing to the attendant risks. So while I hate the idea of coercion, in our present medicolegal enviroment, I’d say the requirement for contraception is a reasonable one. BTW, they’re still going to get sued if a woman forgets to take her pill and has a deformed baby…those costs are already factored into the drug’s price!