 Pharmacists Fired over Abortion Pill (25 views) Subscribe   
  From:  David (DavidABrown)    Feb-13 8:10 am  
To:  ALL   (1 of 5)  
 
  804.1  
 
Pro-Life Pharmacists Fired for Refusing to Fill "Morning After" Abortion Pill 

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 12, 2004

Denton, TX (LifeNews.com) -- Three pro-life pharmacists have been fired for their refusal to fill a prescription for the so-called morning after pill. The action has revived the debate over whether pharmacists should be able to opt out of filling orders for drugs that can or do cause abortions.

According to the Associated Press, Denton, Texas pharmacist Gene Herr and two co-workers have been fired by Eckerd Corporation.

Herr refused to fill a woman's prescription for the "morning after pill" given to her by a doctor after she reported being raped. He said he believes the drug can kill an unborn child shortly after fertilization has taken place.

He said he has declined to fill orders for the drug before, but this was the first instance where the customer was a victim of rape.

The rape victim went to an Eckerd drug store in Denton on January 23 where the pharmacist worked, but only after visiting several other drug stores that did not stock the morning after drug. She eventually was able to get the prescription filled at a Walgreens pharmacy across the street.

"I went in the back room and briefly prayed about it," Herr, who had worked for Eckerd for five years, told AP. "I actually called my pastor at Denton Bible Church and asked him what he thought about it."

Earlier this month, Joan Gallagher, Eckerd's vice president for communications, said Herr was disciplined but did not mention what actions the drug store chain took.

"A pharmacist is obliged to fill a prescription if it is a valid, legal prescription," Gallagher said. "We do not make exceptions for any moral, religious or ethical concerns with regard to filling the prescription."

She said Eckerd's employment manual says pharmacists may not opt out of filling drug scripts for religious or moral reasons. Herr told AP he was unaware of the policy until informed of it shortly before he lost his job.

"In my mind if I agree to work for someone knowing that that's their policy, then I should submit to that policy. But I didn't even know about it," Herr indicated. 

Herr would not name the two other pharmacists who were also fired.

Pro-life groups say that pharmacists should be able to opt out of dispensing drugs that can or do cause abortions, just as other health care workers, such as doctors and nurses, can choose not to perform abortions without facing job consequences.

"Health care providers, including pharmacists, should be never be forced to participate in procedures or practices to which they are morally opposed," Elizabeth Graham of Texas Right to Life told LifeNews.com. "Forcing a pharmacist to participate in abortion through prescribing a pill that could cause a chemical abortion is outrageous."

More than two dozen pro-abortion protesters camped out in front of the Eckerd store during the week after the prescription wasn't filled.

"To be faced with a pharmacist who moralizes to her, we find outrageous," Kathryn Allen of Planned Parenthood of Texas told WFAA-TV. "This is not a chemical abortion; this is a large dose of birth control pills to prevent an unwanted pregnancy."

The State Board of Pharmacy in Austin said pharmacists can refuse to fill a prescription but only on medical grounds, not over moral concerns.

Gene Rudd, associate director of the Christian Medical Association says forty-five states have passed conscience clause laws for physicians, and that protection could be extended to pharmacists -- as has been done in Illinois and South Dakota. 

Legislation to protect pharmacists has failed in some states and pending in others.

Florida-based Eckerd is owned by Texas-based retailer J.C. Penney.

ACTION: Let the Eckerd Corporation know how you feel. Contact the company at PO Box 4689, Clearwater, FL, 33758, call 1-800-325-3737, fax a letter to 727-395-7063 or send an email message by going to https://www2.eckerd.com/msgToCustServ.asp

Related web sites:
Texas Right to Life - http://www.txrtl.org

 



David A. Brown
Basic Christian: Forum
www.BasicChristian.org

 
  
   Options  Reply Delete Edit   
Rate 
  
    
 


  From:  navymommy (rdan222)   Feb-16 1:12 pm  
To:  David (DavidABrown)    (2 of 5)  
 
  804.2 in reply to 804.1  
 
I'm new here and I do like this forum somewhat. 
But.....the title of this thread is misleading. this is NOT the aborton pill we are talking about here. this is simply a high dose birth control pill that will prevent a pregnancy and in fact there is legislation out there to make this available over the counter in order to prevent this very thing from happening. Unless the pharmacist believes that birth control is also a sin, he had no moral reason to deny the script. As a pharmacist, he should have known the differnce between emergency contraception and the abortion pill...there is a huge difference. 
  
   Options  Reply Delete Edit   
Rate 
  
    
 


  From:  carla5010   Mar-6 3:54 pm  
To:  David (DavidABrown)    (3 of 5)  
 
  804.3 in reply to 804.1  
 
A pharmacist being so extreme in his politic that he refuse to fill valid prescriptions. That's news only because the penalty isn't higher. 
  
   Options  Reply Delete Edit   
Rate 
  
    
 


  From:  David (DavidABrown)    Apr-5 8:11 am  
To:  ALL   (4 of 5)  
 
  804.4 in reply to 804.3  
 
Another Pro-Life Pharmacist Faces Criticism for Refusing to Fill Script

by Steven Ertelt
www.LifeNews.com Editor
April 4, 2004

North Richland Hills, TX (www.LifeNews.com) -- Another Texas pro-life pharmacist faces pressure from abortion advocates after refusing to fill a prescription for birth control drugs. In February, three other Texas pharmacists were fired for objecting to filling an order for the so-called "morning after pill" because the pharmacists believed it acts as an abortion agent.

Last week, a pharmacist at a CVS drug store refused to fill the perscription [for a 32 year-old woman] because he "did not believe" in birth control.

CVS' customer service line initially informed callers that CVS supported the pharmacist's actions and that refusing to fill prescriptions based on personal beliefs was in line with CVS policy. Soon afterwards, however, callers to CVS were told their local pharmacist had not followed company policy. 

CVS policy, like that of many other drug stores, allows a pharmacist to opt out of filling an order, but the pharmacist must refer any customer to another pharmacist at the store or suggest another area drug store that can fill the order.

Todd Andrews, a spokesman for CVS, declined to say whether the unnamed pharmacist was still employed.

"Unfortunately in this instance, the pharmacist did not follow store policy," he said. "We have apologized to the customer involved and are taking steps to ensure that this situation is not repeated."

The woman, a first-grade teacher and mother of two, eventually received the birth control pills when a CVS employee delivered the prescription to her home the following night.

Planned Parenthood president Gloria Feldt is calling on CVS CEO Tom Ryan to crack down on the Texas pharmacist and others who refuse to fill orders for possible abortion-causing drugs.

"On behalf of America's women, I want your personal guarantee that this will never happen again," Feldt said. "We want to know the immediate steps you will take to guarantee that all CVS pharmacies ensure that every patient's prescription is filled."

But pro-life groups say that pharmacists should be able to opt out of dispensing drugs that can or do cause abortions, just as other health care workers, such as doctors and nurses, can choose not to perform abortions without facing job consequences.

"Health care providers, including pharmacists, should be never be forced to participate in procedures or practices to which they are morally opposed," Elizabeth Graham of Texas Right to Life told LifeNews.com. "Forcing a pharmacist to participate in abortion through prescribing a pill that could cause a chemical abortion is outrageous."

A spokesman for the nation's largest pharmacists group says a conscience clause is necessary but supports CVS' policy of requiring that objecting pharmacists refer customers to people or places that will fill the order.

Michael Stewart, spokesman for the American Pharmacists Association, told the Dallas Morning News that his group supports, a "pharmacist's right to exercise conscientious refusal."

"A pharmacist is like any doctor, nurse or other health-care professional who has a right to have a conscience," he said. "But we also support the establishment of systems by the pharmacy so that patients can access their legally prescribed medication." 

In February, Denton, Texas pharmacist Gene Herr and two co-workers were fired by Eckerd Corporation.

Herr refused to fill a woman's prescription for the "morning after pill" given to her by a doctor after she reported being raped. He said he believes the drug can kill an unborn child shortly after fertilization has taken place.

The State Board of Pharmacy in Austin said pharmacists can refuse to fill a prescription but only on medical grounds, not over moral concerns.

Gene Rudd, associate director of the Christian Medical Association says forty-five states have passed conscience clause laws for physicians, and that protection could be extended to pharmacists -- as has been done in Illinois and South Dakota.

ACTION: Contact CVS with your comments at (888) 607-4287 or see http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gateway/help/helpContact


 



David A. Brown
Basic Christian: Forum
www.BasicChristian.org

 
  
   Options  Reply Delete Edit   
Rate 
  
    
 


   From:  David (DavidABrown)    Apr-9 9:47 am  
To:  ALL   (5 of 5)  
 
  804.5 in reply to 804.4  
 
Woman Sues Ohio Abortion Facility Saying RU 486 Ruined Her Fertility

by Steven Ertelt
www.LifeNews.com Editor
April 8, 2004

Akron, OH (www.LifeNews.com) -- An Ohio woman is suing an Akron abortion business saying that the chemical abortion she was given has left her unable to become pregnant.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal newspaper, Dana Powell, 30, filed a lawsuit on Monday against the Akron Women's Center for Choice abortion business. The suit also names abortion practitioner Raymond Robinson and a staff member.

Powell's lawsuit says she had cramping and bleeding associated with an October 2002 pregnancy and went to the abortion business. Staff there told her the pregnancy was not problematic. 

Powell opted to have an abortion and was given the RU 486 abortion drug, recently responsible for the deaths of teenagers in Sweden and California.

According to the Journal, Powell took the first drug to kill the baby and then suffered severe cramping after taking the Cytotec drugs to expel the dead baby from her uterus. The abortion facility told her to take a second Cytotec pill and call back the next day.

The newspaper reports that Powell's condition grew worse over the next month until she was forced to go to Akron City Hospital. Hospital staff diagnosed her with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in the left fallopian tube, leaving her unable to conceive.

Powell's lawsuit says the abortion business failed to properly detect the ectopic pregnancy. 

In fact, Powell is lucky to be alive.

Danco Laboratories, the maker of RU 486 says the abortion drug should not be taken by women who have such pregnancies. The company points to an abortion of an undetected ectopic pregnancy that led to the death of Brenda Vise in 2001.

In fact, the FDA requires those administering the RU 486 abortion drug to have been trained at performing ultrasounds and be able to detect ectopic pregnancies.

"This lawsuit emphasizes a sad irony. Although the RU-486 procedure exposes women to serious health risks while ending a healthy pregnancy, it does nothing to end a dangerous ectopic pregnancy," Mark Lally, Legislative Counsel of Ohio Right to Life, told LifeNews.com.

"The FDA approval letter for RU-486 emphasized the importance of a provider's ability to diagnose ectopic pregnancy and the FDA protocol calls for Cytotec to be administered at the provider's office 2 days after the RU-486 and for the patient to return for a checkup in about 2 weeks," Lally explained.

Lally said it appears Powell was told to take the Cytotec drug at home and that there should have been more follow-up by the abortion business.

"These two visits could have provided additional opportunities to detect the ectopic pregnancy," Lally said.

Robinson, the abortion practitioner, lives in Upper Arlington and has performed abortions in Dayton before.

Related web sites:
Ohio Right to Life - http://www.ohiolife.org

 



David A. Brown
Basic Christian: Forum
www.BasicChristian.org

 
  
   Options  Reply Delete Edit  
 
