Pharmacists Refusing to fill Birth Control

[Halifirien]

The point I'm trying to make is that birth control has always been an aspect of being a pharmacist, abortion has not. Doctors are not required to perform abortions, I don't see why pharmacists are required to dispense it in pill form.

Just to clarify, the "morning after pill" does not cause an abortion. It prevents pregnancy from happening in the first place. Not exactly the same thing.

 

[Acutie]

What ever happened to our friend the condom? It's better in a lot of ways

 

[Firestreak]

This was discussed earlier, and there are multiple uses for the pill in question. It's unique use, that earns it the title "Morning after pill" as found by Rones.

3. It can irritate the lining of the uterus so that if the first and second actions fail, and the woman does become pregnant, the human being created will die before he or she can actually attach to the lining of the uterus.

The point being that it takes 2 hours from ejaculation to fertilization. Anything after that can be considered abortion. Now abortion is not illegal in the US, but to force people to participate has to weigh on more than a losing semantics argument. I'll repeat here a source that follows my argument.
http://www.morningafterpill.org/shumard.htm

And you can't argue that someone has no right to be morally linked to the drugs they distribute, unless you want to overturn every law we have making it illegal to sell mind alterting substances. Being a supplier in some people's minds makes them a part of what happens.

 

[Halifirien]

I'll repeat here a source that follows my argument.
http://www.morningafterpill.org/shumard.htm

The registered nurse who wrote that letter to the editor would have been better served to cite a medical text instead of selectively Funk & Wagnalls out of context, but whatever. The point is that even if the egg gets fertilized there is no pregnancy unless it gets implanted.

Fertilized eggs miss that stage all the time, to the point where you could consider it holocaust-level amounts without any "interference" from the potential mothers.

 

[Yoshindor]

Very very interesting guys. I'm diggin' it. Very informational.

Anyway Pere, no Heather does not smoke. She's totally against it. Well cigarettes anyway^^.

hmmm maybe mother should take a hint from the daughter before 3 strikes your out *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink* :grin:

 

[Kat]

hmmm maybe mother should take a hint from the daughter before 3 strikes your out *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink* :grin:

Naw, I'll die with a hole in my throat and a cigarette pokin' out, lol. Everyone has a vice in life. Smoking and Diet Dr. Pepper are mine.

 

[Firestreak]

The registered nurse who wrote that letter to the editor would have been better served to cite a medical text instead of selectively Funk & Wagnalls out of context, but whatever. The point is that even if the egg gets fertilized there is no pregnancy unless it gets implanted.

Fertilized eggs miss that stage all the time, to the point where you could consider it holocaust-level amounts without any "interference" from the potential mothers.

The main point is that to some people, that fertilized egg is wrong to kill. I'm not advocating they're right, but they have the right to feel that way, and as Peregrine said, the doctor should have more foresight into how they go about filling the prescription.

Nobody here is arguing that the pill should be banned, though it may be obvious some's personal feelings on the issue, I just want to show a different side of this issue. Which is that this whole thing is nothing but a publicity stunt to turn public support for planned parenthood.

 

[Peregrine]

Pharmacists aren't a part of the process simply because they supply. That is the pharmaceutical industry--impartial supply of drugs. Pharmacy is a part of the medical team because they are a vital part of the patient education and care. They catch drug interactions. They explain how to take meds. They remind people to refill. They make prescribed drug use more safe.

If they want to be a part of the medical team and not be considered simple pill-fillers, they have to take responsibility that puts patient care above their own personal beliefs. Physicians do it. Nurses do it. Therapists do it. If they don't agree they still won't deny. They will refer and make sure that referral is legitimate with intent. Pharmacists have it so cut-and-dry that you'd think they'd be the last arm of patient care to have a mess like this. Just freaking stock the drug or tell the patient the next closest place that does. If you deny specific patients, have the next closest place that doesn't ready to give the patient. Not. Difficult.

You can't make them stock a drug if they don't want to unless it's federally mandated to stock. But if the pharmacy just says, "Nope sorry can't fill that one," and gives no referral, that pharmacy should be shut down and replaced with a federal or institutional pharmacy. That's a clear medical ethics violation. To many that doesn't sound like a big deal, but healthcare is a different world. It's a different set of rules that we live by.

 

[Peregrine]

Many people think birth control is wrong for 15 year-olds, but they still stock birth control. There are cases where giving birth control to a 15 year-old is medically indicated and not choice-driven.

Same way with this pill. Very few drugs do one and only one thing, and physicians have the right to prescribe any medication they are certified to prescribe for any reason they wish. The FDA doesn't like it, but they allow it so long as it isn't a published contraindication.

There are more than a handful of reasons why a pharmacy should stock these morning after pills solely on a medical basis. When there is or could be a medical basis in the healthcare world, you put your morals and ethics down or you go be a drug rep and hawk pills for a living. Simple as that. You don't belong in the healthcare industry if you wouldn't give a 15 year-old birth control under any circumstance. She could bleed profusely during period, and birth control would be therapeutic. You don't belong in the healthcare industry if you wouldn't give a 15 year-old a morning after pill, ever. She may be medically unable to carry, and a pregnancy could put her in serious jeopardy. And the position pharmacists face is that physicians don't tell them why the drug is being prescribed. And if we had to, half of us would flat-out lie and be immorally ethical. Yes ma'am all my 13 year-old patients on birth control are on it for therapeutic reasons. Yes ma'am I do find that odd. No ma'am I would indicate that it was for a lack of abstinence if that were the case. Yes ma'am my patients are distinctly unique if that description is possible.

These are the things that morally righteous but globally naive people never think about. It never crosses their mind that there is a time and purpose for all types of birth control, and that denying these medications--either kind--could under certain circumstances not only be the greater evil, but it could be the only evil.

But let's be honest. WalMart carries birth control because it makes WalMart a lot of money. The difference between a 15 year-old and a 25 year-old is that 25 year-olds spend millions on birth control. Probably billions. Teens don't. They buy condoms from WalMart, not pills with prescriptions. They don't ask their parents. They don't ask their doctors. They buy a condom and keep it quiet. Same way with morning after pills. That's a heck of an awkward trip to your doctor, especially for a teen. It doesn't get used often. Doesn't get bought. So pharmacies can afford to whip morals out against it and play to their fans.

It won't hurt them a bit to deny teens the pill and any women the morning after pill if it means looking good to the people who pay them the most money. Face it--no one wants to go see a doctor. There is no teen contraception market that WalMart isn't already in, which has already been mentioned in the thread.

 

[Yoshindor]

Naw, I'll die with a hole in my throat and a cigarette pokin' out, lol. Everyone has a vice in life. Smoking and Diet Dr. Pepper are mine.

I used to be like that too so I can relate.

Till my wife became pregnant and gave me the ultimatum, as did sevral other of my family members.

I played with other alternitives, cigars and pipes and the like, shit at one point I even mannaged to get a huka and pack it with tabbaco rather than what most people would. In short I was able to kick the habbit of ciggarets, however, I do enjoy cigars once in a while and I do smoke a pipe on occasion.

So there are better alternitives, and I do encourage you to try them.

I found I would smoke 1 to 2 cigars a day (2 on those days where people piss you off at every corner and nothing goes right >_< youknow what I mean. sometimes I could get away with 1/2 of one.) Where as I was smokeing almost 2 packs a day (3 on bad days).

In my opinion cigar smoke stinks a little more but they smeel and taste alot better than ciggarets. And as for pipes the smell of real pipe tabbaco in your house is heavenly! And the smoke from it does not stink much at least not to me (but I'm a crazy foriegner :crazy

In short give the alternites a try ther better for you your wallet and your fammily ^^!

 

[Kat]

Actually I don't smoke a lot anymore. When we quit smoking in the house, it helped me cut down immensely. I smoke about a carton per 6 weeks. I used to smoke 2 cartons a week. I feel I'm doin' much better these days. As far as cigar or pipe smoking, um naw, think I'll pass on those^^.

 

[Yoshindor]

Actually I don't smoke a lot anymore. When we quit smoking in the house, it helped me cut down immensely. I smoke about a carton per 6 weeks. I used to smoke 2 cartons a week. I feel I'm doin' much better these days. As far as cigar or pipe smoking, um naw, think I'll pass on those^^.

women with Stogeys is teh hawtness!

men like women who can handle "big stuff" :shock:

 

[Psylentcuda]

I don't need to read any posts in this forum to give some words of advise... Stop having sex if you don't want babies. Sex is for reproduction.

 

[Valoran]

I don't need to read any posts in this forum to give some words of advise...

Good work. You've managed to avoid addressing any other part of the discussion completely, which has been about a specific part of birth control and the ethics of whether pharmacists have the right to fill prescriptions selectively based on personal beliefs.

Protip: casting blind on yourself irl reduces your accuracy there too.

 

[Halifirien]

Stop having sex if you don't want babies. Sex is for reproduction.

That's a pretty limiting definition. Blowjobs aren't for reproduction, but good luck convincing people to stop those.

 

[Peregrine]

I used to be like that too so I can relate.

Till my wife became pregnant and gave me the ultimatum...And as for pipes the smell of real pipe tabbaco in your house is heavenly! ...In short give the alternites a try ther better for you your wallet and your fammily ^^!

I honestly hope you don't think smoking a pipe or cigars around a pregnant woman is any safer...that's not even funny if not.

 

[Miya]

I don't need to read any posts in this forum to give some words of advise... Stop having sex if you don't want babies. Sex is for reproduction.

I am sorry I will have to disagree on this. If sex was just for reproduction then why did whom ever you believe in make it so pleasurable . Its just human nature to enjoy sex. Nothing wrong with that. Now why shouldn't we enjoy something that "God" gave us the ability to enjoy just because we aren't ready to have children. I am 25 years old, no husband, no kids, no boyfriend and you are telling me I shouldn't have sex because this isn't the right time in my life to have children? Birth control in itself does not make whores or sluts its there for all kinds of reasons and thank god this reason allows me to have a little fun in my life whenever that chance opportunity comes.

Just cause someone takes birth control doesn't mean I or anyone else is going to shack up with every person they get the chance with (well most people). Better to be safe and than to have children before your time. Btw if you still think I am wrong take a sex education class. I used to think the way you did until that class opened my eyes and showed me that sex is more then reproduction. You should take one. They are fun and very informative. You learn alot about safety, enjoyment, and responsibility (and no we didnt have sex in class that was homework!!! haha jk )

 

[Yoshindor]

I honestly hope you don't think smoking a pipe or cigars around a pregnant woman is any safer...that's not even funny if not.

I don't smoke around my wife or my children(please also note my wife has not been pregnant for 4 months since giveing birth to triplets, 2 girls and 1 boy).
I smoke outside or at my friends houses, or in MY room where I have my computer and my office (note this is not the master bedroom).

 

[Peregrine]

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/03/news/companies/walmart_contraception/index.htm?cnn=yes

Retailer's pharmacies currently only carry the product in 2 states -- Illinois and Massachusetts -- as mandated by law. In a major turnaround, Wal-Mart will begin stocking Plan B contraceptives -- commonly referred to as the "morning-after pill" -- at all of its pharmacies, the company said Friday.

The company said it will maintain its conscientious objection policy, which lets employees who don't feel comfortable dispensing a prescription to refer customers to another pharmacist or pharmacy.

WalMart's official position is that a 30 year-old woman who doesn't plan ahead is a valued customer. The 17 year-old, though...they're still a bunch of whores.