Illinois Pharmacists Balk at Contraception

[WanderAimlessly]

Karin:

Well the law is written in such a way that the company has no option but to hold them accountable for filling these prescriptions…**if they do not want to do there job then they should not be empolyed! **

It was not a law. It was an Executive Order.

PF

 

[Karin]

WanderAimlessly:

It was not a law. It was an Executive Order.

PF

what is the difference between the two (law and Executive Order)?

 

[WanderAimlessly]

Karin:

what is the difference between the two (law and Executive Order)?

A state law is crafted and voted on by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. An executive order is a unilateral declaration by the, in this case, the Governor of a state. No legislative involvement at all.

PF

 

[Pug]

I don’t think I’d go along with the “move to another state” idea. What if this is a trend? They move their entire family, pull kids from school, go to all that expense, and bingo, the new state pulls this same stunt.

Hey! This is my 2000th post! Wow!

 

[Petergee]

Karin:

They should of never gone into the field then if they are not going to FILL all prescriptions that are presented to them.
IF this was a BIG issue for these folks then they should of applied to work at a pharamcy that does not sell these things! Do these pharmacists think that they know what is best for people, by picking and choosing what they want to fill?

Vending machines are sounding pretty good right about now…if my doctor gives me an RX for a medication that I need I want it filled.

You have simply confirmed that you have not the first idea what is the purpose of the profession of pharmacy. Every pharmacist, every day, is presented with prescriptions which s/he is ethically (and usually, legally) obliged to choose NOT to fill. A pharmacist is there to protect the patient’s health. Quite often this means precisely NOT giving the patient what s/he asks for.

 

[Karin]

Petergee:

You have simply confirmed that you have not the first idea what is the purpose of the profession of pharmacy. Every pharmacist, every day, is presented with prescriptions which s/he is ethically (and usually, legally) obliged to choose NOT to fill. PLEASE GIVE AN EXAMPLE!
A pharmacist is there to protect the patient’s health. Quite often this means precisely NOT giving the patient what s/he asks for.

Really…so the ABC the I may need for some medical reason that they have no idea what it may be they have a right not to fill…what about the person that really needs that heart medicine they do not have to fill it?

What makes them think that they know what you may need or not need medically?
I can understand them saying if I fill this prescription it will cause a reaction with this other drug you are taking but that is why you as a paitent need to be honest with your doctor when telling them what drugs etc. you may be taking.

 

[Pug]

I think they mean stuff like if you show up Monday with a scrip for Vicodin (narcotic) from Dr. X and then you show up on Tues with a scrip for Vicodin from Dr. Y, etc. Then the pharmacist is supposed to not fill the narcotics scrips. They probably also check to see that the dosage as written is fit for human consumption (no accidents like 10mg instead of 1 mg).

 

[CatholicCid]

Really…so the ABC the I may need for some medical reason that they have no idea what it may be they have a right not to fill…what about the person that really needs that heart medicine they do not have to fill it?

The Map and Heart Medicine are quite different… What medical reasons could one need Map for other than it’s intended uses?
If you do not take Heart Medicine, you might die…
If you do not take Map then you might get pregnant?

As is their job to take and fill prescription, they also take an oath.
The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy use this one:

I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of human suffering my primary concerns.
I will apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal drug therapy outcomes for the patients I serve.
I will keep abreast of developments and maintain professional competency in my profession of pharmacy.
I will maintain the highest principles of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.
I will embrace and advocate change in the profession of pharmacy that improves patient care.
I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.

If they feel the Map is not morally right, they probably feel they cannot give it out without breaking their oath.

Imagine a Pharmacist as a Soldier. If a Soldier is ordered to execute a prisoner, should they do so?

 

[Karin]

CatholicCid:

The Map and Heart Medicine are quite different… What medical reasons could one need Map for other than it’s intended uses?
If you do not take Heart Medicine, you might die…
If you do not take Map then you might get pregnant?

**There are other medical reasons for using ABC other than preventing pregnancy. **

pug:

think they mean stuff like if you show up Monday with a scrip for Vicodin (narcotic) from Dr. X and then you show up on Tues with a scrip for Vicodin from Dr. Y, etc. Then the pharmacist is supposed to not fill the narcotics scrips. They probably also check to see that the dosage as written is fit for human consumption (no accidents like 10mg instead of 1 mg).

**That is what I thought **

 

[CatholicCid]

**There are other medical reasons for using ABC other than preventing pregnancy. **

Such as? This issue is with MAP, not other ABCs as the store does sell those, hence why they have to provide the MAP.
“A rule imposed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in April requires Illinois pharmacies that sell contraceptives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control. Pharmacies that do not fill prescriptions for any type of contraception are not required to follow the rule.”

MAP or Emergency Birth Control pill is what it says… Emergency birth control to abort a child a few days (hours?) after intercourse.
What other medical reasons does this pill have? To my understanding, it has been suspect in a few death of users…

The Pharmacists should not be forced to do something they find morally wrong, just as others should not in other situations, such as a soldier executing a prisoner by order of a ranking officer, a nurse assisting in a suicide by order of a doctor, ect…
The person may find someone else to fill the prescription. If it may not be in their immediate area and they need it that badly, they can make a travel to the nearest store willing to provide it.

 

[Karin]

CatholicCid:

The person may find someone else to fill the prescription. If it may not be in their immediate area and they need it that badly, they can make a travel to the nearest store willing to provide it.

Exactly!

 

[WanderAimlessly]

Looks like a boycott of Walgreen’s is gaining steam with the support of the Diocese of Belleville:

Prescription for firings: Call Walgreens boycott
Abortion foe, diocese demand reinstatement of druggists who said no to morning-after pill
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

A Southern Illinois abortion foe, backed by her local Catholic diocese, is asking consumers to pull their prescriptions from Walgreens until four pharmacists, on unpaid leave for refusing to agree to fill orders for the morning-after contraceptive pill, are reinstated.

Full Story

PF

 

[Pug]

Thanks for the link, WanderAimlessly. Now, if the other dioceses in Illinois join in, maybe Walgreens would feel the impact! The politicians, though, I don’t think they’ll feel a thing.

 

[Karin]

Pug:

Thanks for the link, WanderAimlessly. Now, if the other dioceses in Illinois join in, maybe Walgreens would feel the impact! The politicians, though, I don’t think they’ll feel a thing.

Are there that many Catholics in Illinois or in the USA to make a difference to their bottom line?

 

[Pug]

Karin:

Are there that many Catholics in Illinois or in the USA to make a difference to their bottom line?

I don’t know, but I’d guess yes. Chicago had many immigrant parishes, so I assume the residuals are still around. There are many people of Polish decent in the area. There are also many, many Latinos. Both groups tend to be rather Catholic.

If it were the bible belt, well, I doubt Catholics alone could make a difference. But this is happening in Illinois (with Chicago, and its diverse population).

I bet the answer is on the net somewhere, but I am terrible at finding statistics and stuff by surfing…Oh, I did find out that the state is about 30% Catholic. That seems enough to me. Illinois is one of the highest states that way.

 

[CatholicCid]

Pug:

I don’t know, but I’d guess yes. Chicago had many immigrant parishes, so I assume the residuals are still around. There are many people of Polish decent in the area. There are also many, many Latinos. Both groups tend to be rather Catholic.

If it were the bible belt, well, I doubt Catholics alone could make a difference. But this is happening in Illinois (with Chicago, and its diverse population).

I bet the answer is on the net somewhere, but I am terrible at finding statistics and stuff by surfing…Oh, I did find out that the state is about 30% Catholic. That seems enough to me. Illinois is one of the highest states that way.

If you drove around Chicago after the death of John Paul II, I think the immense number of Polish flags flying would give it away

 

[chicago]

I think that at least part of the Walgreen family is Catholic, also. At least one of their names used to be on a list of the board of advisors for Mundelein Seminary.

The executive order was nothing more than political pandering on the part of the governor in response to public activism by the pro-abortion groups several months ago. In fact, it was probably a bad political move in the long run as he wasn’t going to lose these people’s votes, anyway, and he had been garnering support from some more conservative elements for a certain degree of independence which he has showm and holding the line on particular taxes. Walgreens is enough of a powerhouse across not only Illinois but the country that they could effectively thumb their noses at this gubinitorial fiat and there would really be little that the government could effectively do to shut them down. The State of Illinois would, more realistically, have to back away and let pharmacists follow their own consciences as is the actual law of the state.

 

[Petergee]

chicago:

I think that at least part of the Walgreen family is Catholic, also. At least one of their names used to be on a list of the board of advisors for Mundelein Seminary.

The executive order was nothing more than political pandering on the part of the governor in response to public activism by the pro-abortion groups several months ago. In fact, it was probably a bad political move in the long run as he wasn’t going to lose these people’s votes, anyway, and he had been garnering support from some more conservative elements for a certain degree of independence which he has showm and holding the line on particular taxes. Walgreens is enough of a powerhouse across not only Illinois but the country that they could effectively thumb their noses at this gubinitorial fiat and there would really be little that the government could effectively do to shut them down. The State of Illinois would, more realistically, have to back away and let pharmacists follow their own consciences as is the actual law of the state.

I agree. Even the pharmacists I know who are 100% in favour of the MAP think this law is diabolical. This idiotic Governor says that it’s OK for doctors and nurses to have conscientious objections to abortion, but pharmacists aren’t allowed to because a pharmacist is just a cash register operator!

 

[Jeffrey]

WoW… a company that would help you move and keep you employed? Not many companies would do that… time to get that Ill law changed.

Walgreen policy says pharmacists can refuse to fill prescriptions to which they are morally opposed — except where state law prohibits — but they must take steps to have the prescription filled by another pharmacist or store, Bruce said

They will remain on unpaid leave "until they either decide to abide by Illinois law or relocate to another state" without such a rule or law. For example, she said, the company would be willing to help them get licensed in Missouri and they could work for Walgreen there.

So why did they not just get another pharmacist to fill the prescriptions? The company alllows this option

 

[Rosalinda]

This is the response I received from Walgreens.

Thank you for sharing your opinion with us in regard to dispensing of contraceptive medication by our pharmacists. Walgreens believes it has an obligation to meet the medical
needs of all of its patients. We also believe we have an obligation to respect the wide spectrum of views and beliefs of our 163,000
employees. At rare times these may differ.

To fairly resolve these situations, and where allowed by state law, we believe it’s reasonable to respect the individual pharmacist’s beliefs by not requiring them to fill a prescription they object to on moral or religious grounds. We also believe it’s reasonable to meet our obligation to the patient by having another pharmacist at the store fill the prescription. If another pharmacist is not on duty, we will arrange to have the
prescription filled at a nearby pharmacy before the patient leaves the store.

Because of a state law unique to Illinois, the following applies to our Illinois pharmacists:

1. Illinois law requires pharmacies to dispense these contraceptive medications, and we must follow the law. We don’t have a choice in this matter.

1. If we allow our pharmacists in Illinois to refuse to dispense these medications, we are placing our pharmacy license at risk, along with the license of the pharmacist in charge at that location. The state board of pharmacy has already cited two of our Illinois pharmacies that declined to dispense prescriptions for
   emergency contraception. A board disciplinary ruling is pending.

1. We offered the pharmacists who were placed on leave jobs at our stores in Missouri, where they could work for us without being required to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to reply to your inquiries or concerns regarding this matter.

Again, thank you for taking time to bring your comment to our attention.

We hope you’ll give us another
chance to serve you.