Pharmacists have right to conscience {Opinion}

[Kate]

That's true as far as it goes.  But once they have elected to dispense drugs, they become regulated by the state

Does that regulation *require* them to dispense any drug requested by valid prescription?

I don't care if a particular employee decides they can't fill a prescription for whatever reason... as long as the store has another employee who WILL. IMHO, the customer deserves to walk out of there with the drugs they were prescribed. I'm hoping that as part of that licensing process, the store agrees to make a reasonable effort to fill all valid prescriptions. If the store wants to put up with a self-righteous employee, that's their choice. But the customer shouldn't have to suffer for it, especially when we're talking about health issues. "Go to a store that treats your kind" just isn't acceptable.

Ultimately, this comes back upon the store itself. If the store starts making it's own rules as to what's appropriate for each customer (aside from drug interactions), then they've overstepped their bounds and should lose their license. I'd assume that the employee represents the store, which in turn due to being licensed represents the state... so if the state says it's legal to sell, the store either abides by the rules or loses it's privileges.

~Kate~

[tekla]

A Christian Scientist is concerned only with themselves and family.  If non-believers choose to use chemicals to treat illness, that is not of their concern.  The difference is that the believer pharmas think that by their actions they are being complicit with the act, and I think that on a moral and ethical level, they are correct in that assumption.  I give the C.S. this much, they do live their faith.  When they get sick, they go to god not a doctor.  Its tragic more people of faith don't follow that practice.

As for the gold bricking pharma, no worries, I 'm sure Bush would quickly appoint him to head the National Institutes of Health, or the Center for Disease Control, after all, faith-based disease control is an idea who's time has come (and gone, I think we called it The Dark Ages).

[Lisbeth]

I don't care if a particular employee decides they can't fill a prescription for whatever reason... as long as the store has another employee who WILL. IMHO, the customer deserves to walk out of there with the drugs they were prescribed. I'm hoping that as part of that licensing process, the store agrees to make a reasonable effort to fill all valid prescriptions. If the store wants to put up with a self-righteous employee, that's their choice. But the customer shouldn't have to suffer for it, especially when we're talking about health issues. "Go to a store that treats your kind" just isn't acceptable.

Bear in mind that usually your prescription has already been filled and is waiting when you get there, you probably wouldn't even know.

As for the gold bricking pharma, no worries, I 'm sure Bush would quickly appoint him to head the National Institutes of Health, or the Center for Disease Control, after all, faith-based disease control is an idea who's time has come (and gone, I think we called it The Dark Ages).

LOL!!!

[Rachael]

Doctors swear the hypocrtatic oath... they swear to treat anyone, regardless of race, religion, colour, right, or wrong. they sideline thier conscience for the the medical welfare of thier patient....
pharmacists seem to want to play mini doctors at the moment, if they want to, they get LESS choice over who they cant treat...
America land of the free? yeah maybe, but the customers have thier right to thier prescribed medication, and personally, id LAUGH, if a fedex employee refused to give me a package because he didn't like my being Jewish..., id laugh, then sue his ass to Argentina and back...
pharamcists have no right deciding whats been decided. if they dont want to do the job, gfto...
R

[SusanK]

Is that true though? Now I'm wondering... I mean they are a retail store, so don't they have a right to sell - or not - whatever they want?

Not in the State of Washington. All pharmacies are separate entities whether alone or in local or chain store. The store can't determine what the pharmacy will do or sell - that's the jurisdiction of the State Board of Pharmacy as prescribed in the Washington Administration Code. The store can only set the hours they want it open for business. Even the employees who work with or dispense drugs are separate, not being just any employee, because of the status as a pharmacy.

The only loophole where they can refuse to fill a prescription is be out of stock, and even then they have to make a good faith effort to keep all drugs in stock, obtain the drug if out of stock or help the patients get the prescription filled at the pharmacy of the patients choice, including theirs. The pharmacists' issue to exclude some drugs requires the Board to interpret the rules to allow pharmacists to exempt some drugs or ask the legislature to amend the code to accommodate to pharmacist's personal morality. But as noted, it's the slippery slope only going downhill.