true story long story short.

in TX woman is raped doctor gives script for morning after pill. she goes to eckards pharm says no i wont fill this based on morals and ethics. she goes elsewhere for her script.

Gay Dodson, executive director of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, said state law allows pharmacists to decline filling prescriptions if the medication could harm the patient.

"The law does not say that the pharmacy can decline because of moral ground," she said.

and the pharmacist is now in trouble possibly getting revoked.

IF an MD refuses to see a patient what happens? should it matter? how bout a DDS?

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First the doctor told me the good news: I was going to have a disease named after me.- Steve Martin

If a person comes to you with a legit medical problem that needs treatment, you have to treat them, or find someone who will treat them in a timely manner. Otherwise it is abandonment. We, as docs, have plenty of opportunities to judge people and the choices they make. That is absolutely not our role. We are supposed to do what is best for the patient regardless of what we think. IMUHO, this woman had already been done harm, and having a baby by her rapist would do still more harm to her, and even the child. First, do no harm. It wasn't the pharmacists place to judge what she was doing. He/she likely "thought" the woman was knocked up by her boyfriend. The pharm is not paid to think. On the other hand, there are plenty of pharmacies, and the pharmacists refusal did not mean that she was not able to get the med in a timely manner. No harm was done. So in the end, the answer is going to depend on where you stand on the issue. G

__________________
AUC Class of '99
Bored certified
I may be a jerk, but I'm a Jedi jerk like my father.

Some say I look like Buzz Lightyear....
(They're right)

DISCLAIMER: I have no financial stake in ValueMD, or any medical school.

i agree somewhat. It is acceptable to refuse if you refer. i.e. "I'm sorry, I don't perform abortions but I will refer you to another good physician." as long as the pt doesn't have to drive to South America for Tx. HOWEVER, I would venture to say that a pharmacist has NO business refusing to fill a script because he/she does not determine the Tx. How the devil do they really know why the pill(s) were written for to begin with?
I think they should be disciplined.

I had a recent second issue with pharmacists. I was visiting extended family over the holidays in December and a diabetic child dropped their insulin bottle and broke it about 6pm on Saturday. I called the "all night pharmacies" and ALL were closed for the entire weekend. There were ZERO drugs shoppes open!! The only available source in the ENTIRE city (one million+) for insulin was the local ER. That seems a ****-up.

Some drugs there is absolutely no question what they are for. When a guy goes to the pharmacy with an Rx for Azithromycin 1000 mg, and Doxycycline for 7 days, you know he has the clap

__________________
AUC Class of '99
Bored certified
I may be a jerk, but I'm a Jedi jerk like my father.

Some say I look like Buzz Lightyear....
(They're right)

DISCLAIMER: I have no financial stake in ValueMD, or any medical school.