Call to Action for Women

L

luvtoglobetrot

Member
Hello Ladies,

I saw something interesting on the news tonight that I thought should be shared. I hope that those of you who are affected by this or even outraged, as I am, may want to take some action. It was on the ABC Evening news tonight about a pharmacist at a CVS drugstore in Texas that refused to fill a woman's birth control prescription because the pharmacist was morally opposed to birth control. Now I realize this may be a controversial issue amongst this group of women on this forum, but I feel sure that a number of you will find it unbelievable,as I did, that such a thing can happen. Here is the link to the article on ABC News' website:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Living/birth_control_pharmacists_040406-1.html

If you agree that this is an outrage I urge you to, at minimum, boycott CVS drugstores until we find that the company has appropriately dealt with this pharmacist (in my opinion, fired her). You may also want to take the time to write your state representatives and urge them to oppose any "conscience clause" proposals (which are laws currently in Arkansas and S. Dakota that allow pharmacists to refuse dispensing medication they oppose) that at least ten other states are considering.

I do not wish to offend anyone here. I just want to make women that feel the same as I do, (that I have every right to get a prescription from my doctor filled without having to adhere to a pharmacist's personal beliefs) aware of this situation and remind them that there is something we can do about it.
There is strength in numbers!!
Thanks for your time ladies,
Now...back to working out!!!
Lisa
 
Lisa,

Thanks for filling us in. Wow, I find it really disturbing that there are laws allowing pharmacists to object to filling prescriptions they don't "believe in." Excuse my French but WTF? I don't think this is even an issue of which side of the fence you are on regarding birth control. If a doctor prescribes you something, you should be able to get it filled at any licensed pharmacy, regardless of a pharmacist's personal beliefs. What next, No, I don't believe in people taking antidepressants because they alter brain chemicals? I won't give you antibiotics because I believe you should just get better on your own? There are a number of things that someone may not believe in and in turn refuse to dispense them.

I don't even want to think about all of the implications.

I'm really shocked, and you better believe I'll be keeping my eye on this one!

Gina
 
I'm with you, Lisa. It's absurd. Pharmacist dispense pharmaceuticals. I read the article and agree she should find herself a new profession that won't put her on the horns of such a dilemma. Should she even work in a place where condoms are sold? Sometimes I find it hard to believe this is the 21st century. I'll both boycott and write letters. Does the consumer have no rights? We consumers need to show them how we feel because money talks and BS walks and if they start losing revenues over such ridiculous policies, I'll bet they'll tell the pharacists to go home to her dozen kids and replace her with someone who knows it's her job to do her job and not pass moral judgement.
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"
 
I am absolutely disgusted by this article. One again peoples personal religious beliefs are being imposed on us. This is absolutely disgusting. This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated. Pharmacists are there to dispense drugs that have been legally prescribed by doctors not to give us there religious or moral beliefs. This lady should be told (in no uncertain terms) that this is unacceptable is if she doesn’t do her job she will no longer have one. Jess, anyone would think that poor lady had come in with a prescription for crack cocaine!

Pathetic!

W x
 
Hmmm ... well okay I can empathize with the pharmacist ONLY because she is - as we all are - entitiled to her personal beliefs. HOWEVER ... I feel as most of you do that she is there to do a job, and she has an obligation to do such job without prejudice. In other words, she should fill the dang prescriptions or find another profession. Or, she could also work in a hospital that doesn't fill birth control prescriptions so there is no conflict with her own personal beliefs. I work in a Catholic hospital, and there are a few things their pharmacy does not and will not stock. BC pills are one of them. Since it's a private corporation, that's their right. I mean, we aren't talking life-threatening meds here so no one can claim not being able to obtain a script for BC pills in this small hospital can harm their life.

I guess this is sort of a sticky-wicket, because I can see both sides of the story here. I do feel though, that this particular pharmacist, feeling the way she does which is her RIGHT, needs to find employment elsewhere. I don't feel boycotting CVS is the answer. The woman who was trying to buy the pills can go elsewhere and get the script filled, right? I mean, it's not as if her not getting those pills at that particular drugstore caused her any physical harm, right? Do you see what I'm saying?

Don't hurt me here - LOL - but I'm just not quite that outraged at this. It's another case of someone in this country asserting their "rights", and maybe stepping over the line just a bit as they try to do it. Should be interesting to see the lawsuits that come out of this one, and I mean that sincerely.

This is the part I came back and edited in: As for the legislation in question, of which my own home state is considering (no big surprise there!), you don't even want to get me started. I mean, how far can you take an issue like this? Passing laws which prohibit pharmacists from losing their jobs if they refuse to fill prescriptions which offend their moral beliefs impinges on the rights of those who are trying to obtain those meds. It forces those persons trying to obtain the meds to do a bit of research before they head out to the drugstore, and it might inconvenience them. They might have to drive out of their way to find a drugstore where the pharmacist has no moral objection to certain medications. That means the consumers' rights are being violated as well, no? But given the current political climate of this country, getting these laws passed wouldn't surprise me in the least. I'm not saying I'm happy about it, but that's why I exercise my right to vote. And lest this turn into a very ugly political thread, that's all I'd best say on that particular subject - LOL! No, I'm not trying to make light of this. I'm simply saying there are two sides to this issue, and the implications of these laws are far-reaching, and a reflection of the current climate of this country's administration. I'm shutting up now.

Carol
:)
 
If that pharmacist has problems with certain 'scripts, then he/she shouldn't put him or herself in a position to be dispensing them. Perhaps working in a catholic hospital is a better match for that pharmacist.

It is not right to refuse a customer a prescrition based on moral belief of the person behind the counter. This pharmacist should have considered that before wroking in a pharmacy that dispenses such prescriptions before working there in the first place. However in this age where many people are selfserving what can we expect?

I stronlgy support the opinion that the customer is right in this case.
 
I could not believe what I was reading!

I used to work in an elder law firm where people came to us for advice about how to transfer away all their assets so they could qualify for Medicaid. We had more multi-millionaires than regular folk. After a while, I decided I couldn't stomach it. Did I stop advising our clients on Medicaid planning? Of course not! It was my job. I just found another job as fast as I could and stopped practicing elder law altogether.

If you're hired to do a job, I don't see how your employer can be expected to be "understanding" about your moral opposition to your duties, unless you're talking about something outside the scope of your regular duties. I think CVS has made a really bad decision here. The woman was hired to dispense prescriptions. If she won't do it, I say CVS has every right to hire someone else who will. They're nuts not to!

If their customer service is so poor that they force a good customer to go somewhere else to have a prescription filled, they deserve to be avoided by all customers.
 
Can you just imagine this world in 10-20 years if pharmacists refused birth control to women? First, too over crowded and even worse in years to come. What about trying to find day care for these children and them being too overcrowded and have to settle for a place half as good as it should be. not to mention after the loads of women having about ten kids each finding it a bit hard to afford, and wind up having to turn to SS or daycare, in turn the economy and everyone going up in taxes to support the extra SS. And what about if they decide in the future, which here in Ct they were talkig about, stopping SS benefits or only supplying them to people for 3 or so years, and still in that case they must find a job after that time.
I could go on. It would be ugly.
 
I would really love to know if it is a he or a she pharmacist... and if Viagra is okay.

Sorry, this hits home hard for me. A while ago my insurance company wouldn't pay for my BC pills, but I looked on their website and they paid for Viagra. Pissed me off.....

Okay, I feel better now.
 
I am new at posting, so when I forgot to include CVS' contact info, I put it as a new post. That post is moving farther away from this one so I wanted to add the contact info here as well so it will be seen by others.. Sorry for the duplicate post.

Regarding the ABC news story about the CVS pharmacist...I forgot to mention...please write to CVS to let them know your opinion. The CEOs address is:

Thomas Ryan, CEO
CVS Corporation
1 CVS Drive
Woonsocket, RI 02895

or you can contact them via their website:
http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/cvs/corp_helpContact.jsp
Thanks again,
Lisa
 
I would like to respectfully suggest that while contacting CVS might offer a temporary and local solution, I believe anyway (and again ... this is only my OPINION), that the real issue here is the legislation which is being passed and considered. I would suggest also writing your Congresspersons and/or Senators at the State and National levels, expressing your concern that any legislation passed which allows an individual pharmacist to deny a woman prescribed birth control pills is a violation of that woman's rights. If legislation such as this is passed, I think it needs also to include mandatory alternatives in place that allow those same women to have their prescriptions filled, without forcing them to drive out of their way or pay extra out-of-pocket costs because a pharmacy which is a preferred pharmacy with their insurance company can't or won't fill that prescription.

You can find the email address of your elected officials at the following links ...

http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

http://www.hoboes.com/html/Politics/electednet/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

There are others as well. Just do a search for "Government email addreses", or something similar. Good luck, and I hope this helps!!

Carol
:)
 
I find this particularly outrageous because women also take birth control pills for reasons other than birth control! Like keeping endometriosis under control. Just saying, is all...
 
I already boycotted CVS as inept morons! I cannot stand going to CVS because they cannot deal with any customers efficiently. They screwed up prescriptions and now, they have the nerve to impose their beliefs on anyone else! My boycott continues and I will share this with other females who will feel the same! What century are they from? Obviously the Dark Ages.

Sheila
 
This crap just about makes my head explode!!! x( x( x(
I wonder if this same frickin' CVS store lets their cashiers refuse to sell condoms.
 
Good point, Gretzky. Look at the women who have posted here that they take them to ease pre-menopause symptoms. I think CVS should have the woman interview each person before she decides if they can have their medication. NOT! x(
 
Lisa,

Thank you very much for bringing this article to our attention. I was livid when I read that comment from the Senator from Pennsylvania, aside from being annoyed by the article, in general. It seems like our freedoms are slowly being chipped away every day. I will definitely boycott CVS, write them regarding my disapproval, and contact my state Senators and members of Congress. We need to speak up about this!

Thanks, again.
:)

Jen
 
Wow! I couldn't believe what I was reading. Apparently this female pharmacist is unable to grasp the idea that many women take BC pills for medical conditions. Is she under the impression that all women who take BC pills are whores or wanton sluts who wish to continue their lascvious ways free on the consequences of unwanted pregnancy?

I take birth control pills (and have been for many years) with the primary motivation being to control the enormous discomfort I would experience otherwise during TTOM due to endometriosis. If it were not for these pills I would experience ungodly abdominal pain and cramping and could possible suffer physical harm from massive blood loss! These pills are necessary for me to maintain my health without having to go through a major surgical procedure that has risks of its' own. I have always considered the pregnancy prevention aspects of BC pills to be a side effect/benefit.

I feel that anyone who denies my BC pills is not only following their morals but is also making a judgment call about me. How dare someone make a judgment call about me without knowing the whole story and just assuming the worst! If she can not keep her personal beliefs out of her professional conduct, she should find another line of work.

Thanks for the information. I will most certainly be boycotting CVS and watching potential legislation very closely.
 
Are they saying that it's possible to ovulate while on the pill and therefore possible to have one of your eggs be fertilized? That scares me a little bit if this is true. For my own reasons, I don't want to be terminating a possible pregnancy without even knowing it. I thought the egg is never released and never fertilized while on the pill. This scares me.
 
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