Ardent and vocal pro-choice and pro-contraception politicians seem to be few and far in between these days, what with the Democrats cowering away from their original party platform, and Republicans moving even further to the right in order to appease the conservative religious Rightwing. Some have become completely silent out of fear that they’ll appear “too pro-choice and too pro-contraception.” However a couple of senators and representatives remain steadfast in their beliefs and have proposed a bill that would allow women to access their contraception without being turned away by an entire pharmacy.
NOW Supports Legislation Protecting Women’s Right to Legal, Safe Birth Control
NOW joined Senator Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Representatives Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, D-Fla., and Christopher Shays, R-Conn., at a recent press conference where they introduced the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act, or ALPhA (S.809/ H.R. 1652). This legislative proposal, supported by NOW and women’s health groups across the nation, does not require individual pharmacists to dispense any medications for which they have a religious or moral objection. However, it would require there be another pharmacist on the premises who will immediately fill the prescription and that the pharmacy must order the prescribed drug if it is not already in stock. In addition, the pharmacist cannot harass, humiliate, or intentionally breach the confidentiality of the individual attempting to fill the prescription.
Access to birth control is a women’s health issue and a private matter, not to be tampered with by a pharmacist with an agenda,” said Maloney. The legislation is a sweeping response to recent reports from women in over a dozen states who have publicly stated that pharmacists refused to fill their birth control or emergency contraception prescriptions due to a “moral conflict of interest.” Across the nation, pharmacists are turning away patients with a legal medical prescription for some form of birth control, citing their own personal beliefs to determine what is in the best “interest” of their customers. When a pharmacist denies medical treatment based solely on their personal religious beliefs, it is both cruel and unacceptable.
The American Pharmacists Association established a “conscience clause” in 1998, allowing pharmacists to dispense medication based on personal beliefs — although it specifically states pharmacies have an obligation to ensure the patient’s access to their prescribed medication. “Today they might not fill prescriptions for birth control pills, tomorrow it could be painkillers for a cancer patient,” Lautenberg announced. “Next year it could be medicine that prolongs the life of a person with AIDS or some other terminal disease . . . If a pharmacist is allowed to pick and choose what prescriptions to fill, everyone’s health is put at risk.”
Regrettably, some pharmacists are taking it upon themselves to stretch the boundaries of this clause. Not only are they refusing to fill prescriptions for legal and safe hormones or refer the customer to another pharmacist or pharmacy, some pharmacists are refusing to even return a written prescription so the woman can have it filled elsewhere. Consequently, women who live in small towns or rural areas often have no alternative pharmacy available, and rape victims may suffer twofold if they have to continue searching for another pharmacy.
NOW is urging all women’s rights supporters to tell their Congress members to support this important legislation protecting a woman’s constitutional right to obtain safe and legal birth control. Pharmacists may have a license to dispense drugs but they are not authorized to discriminate against women nor dictate anyone’s access to healthcare. As Wasserman-Schultz said, “. . . if men were denied condoms by pharmacies, this issue would have been taken care of already.”
That’s for damn sure. If it was an issue of pharmacists refusing to dispense Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, or Enzyte, Congress would have another one of those ’emergency Midnight sessions,’ and it would have media attention galore, unlike the current situation. Imagine the name of the bill for such a thing….the ‘Give Me My Viagra Now, But Don’t Give My Wife Birth Control’ Bill. I’m sure it would be passed unanimously, probably only two seconds after the session is called to order.
(More commentary on this at my other co-blogging site–blogwhoring!–Women’s Autonomy and Sexual Sovereignty Movements.)
I say we nail any politician who does not support this act as being antri-woman as they are permitting the interference in the medical treatment of women (I’m on routine OC but it was not prescribed for contraception, it was prescribed for medical reasons) and the people who are pro-abortion as they are encouraging the sabotage of a woman’s use of contraception in such a manner that they may actually induce a conception and implantation that may end up being terminated by abortion (ergo they are advocating a likely increase in the abortion rate).
LYING and DISHONESTY are rampant in retail pharmacies, and it’s not just for contraception. I have a serious condition for which I am prescribed narcotic pain medication by a licensed, board certified pain management physician. It is always difficult, and usually impossible for me to find my medication each month. Finding a regular pharmacy was a huge battle, but I managed to do it. Sometimes, they will run out or be closed early (it is a non-chain store). I’d estimate that 60-90% of pharmacists will lie on a phone call as to whether they have the meds in stock (they fear being robbed). As a result, I have to DRIVE to pharmacies all over the area just to get my meds – that’s if I’m lucky. I’ve had days where the pain was so great that I tried 15+ stores and, for one reason, or another, couldn’t get it. Some pharmacies will tell me “7-10 business days,” others actually HAVE IT in the safe, but refuse to dispense it because they ‘need to save it for other patients.’ Apparently only so much can be ordered per month, and they have a list of customers already. The worst offenders are chain stores, and they are buying up mom-and-pop pharmacies and sprouting up in what seems to be a competition with Starbucks. Then, they don’t service the customers they bought out. The government (Fed. & States) also creates a chilling effect on doctors and pharmacists by summarily yanking licenses, making arrests and even sending professionals to jail. This is absurd. Imagine the outrage if this happened with insulin or thyroid medication. But because pain patients are (very often) viewed as junkies, it passes muster. My doctor knows my condition and gives the appropriate medication. The relationship between a patient and physician USED TO BE sacrosanct. I guess not anymore.