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Should pharmacists be allowed to refuse to fill prescriptions based on their beliefs?

I came across a story this morning. A local woman was pregnant and the baby stopped developing around the two-month mark. Her doctor told her she could either have a D&C or use medications to finish the process. She chose meds and went to a local pharmacy to get them, at which point the pharmacist very publicly refused to fill the prescription. From what I can tell, their debate about the medication was loud enough that everyone in line heard why the woman was there and the woman ultimately left in tears- in part because this was a pregnancy she was excited about and was already devastated over the loss and in part because he was refusing to help and embarrassed her. He never said anything about transferring the prescription, but ended up having another location fill it after she left. 

It sounds like he took this as a pro-life debate, despite the fact that the pregnancy was no longer viable. I'm not even sure that's relevant, but it might be to you. 

Is there fault here and, if so, who is at fault? What should the pharmacy and pharmacist have done?

Posted - June 25, 2018
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Responses


  • 44600
    The pharmacist was wrong (IMO). Physicians determine what their patients need to do. Pharmacists are there to supervise the counting of meds, and, most importantly, advise on drug interactions and precautions as to their use. This incident should be made public, with names.
      June 25, 2018 1:14 PM MDT
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  • 7939
     

    This post isn’t something I generally do, but last night I experienced something no women should ever have to go thru especially under these circumstances or any other circumstances. I hadn’t planned on telling anyone outside our immediate family but two months we were surprised to find out I was pregnant. After a previous miscarriage the doctor had been monitoring me weekly. Unfortunately on Tuesday we found out the baby’s development had stopped and I ultimately will have a miscarriage. Dr gave me two options D&C or prescription medication. I opted for prescription. Last night I went to pick up my medication at my local Walgreens only to be denied the prescription I need. I stood at the mercy of this pharmacist explaining my situation in front of my 7 year old, and five customers standing behind only to be denied because of his ethical beliefs. I get it we all have our beliefs. But what he failed to understand is this isn’t the situation I had hoped for, this isn’t something I wanted. This is something I have zero control over. He has no idea what its like to want nothing more than to carry a child to full term and be unable to do so. If you have gone thru a miscarriage you know the pain and emotional roller it can be. I left Walgreens in tears, ashamed and feeling humiliated by a man who knows nothing of my struggles but feels it is his right to deny medication prescribed to me by my doctor. I am unsure where Walgreens draws the lines with their pharmacist but does this mean he denies women the right to birth control and morning after pill, and what’s the stance with fertility drugs. I share this story because I wish no other women have to go thru something like this at time when you are vulnerable and already suffering. I am in left in disbelief on how this can happen? How is this okay? I can’t be the only one who has gone thru this. #walgreens

    A post shared by Nicole Mone (@nikkima24) on Jun 22, 2018 at 7:00am PDT

      June 25, 2018 1:38 PM MDT
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  • 7939
    The Instagram embed isn't working right. This was the image with it.
      June 25, 2018 1:50 PM MDT
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  • 34239
    Yes. But it should be done quietly and respectfully. And only if there is someone else available whom can fill the prescription.
    The situation you described should never happen...and if I were in charge the pharmacist would be fired because he/she made it a public spectical.
      June 25, 2018 1:17 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    He should be instantly sacked and imprisoned for lack of duty of care.....Docters prescribed her meds  and he's acting as judge and jury .....He also should never be allowed to be a pharmacist again.....
    He has no right whatsoever to publicly embarrass anyone because of his halfwitthed beliefs...

      June 25, 2018 2:06 PM MDT
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  • 6477
    Several thoughts occur... most of all it just shows us we should never jump to conclusions ...i.e he shouldn't have assumed she was terminating a pregnancy for no reason. 

    Secondly, whatever his beliefs he had no right to humiliate her.. I've had similar happen when I went to get meds for my sons who had meds for ADHD.. the woman there shouted about controlled drugs..nice.. not.. 

    We do also have the same problem with the morning after pill - pharmacists can, if they have strong beliefs refuse to sell it... I think they are advised not to let their beliefs get in the way, but they retain the right to refuse 
      June 25, 2018 2:51 PM MDT
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  • 13071
    Noooo, please no. Let them do what they went to school for, fill prescriptions. When I stayed in California for a while, I had to have my prescription wired to the local pharmacy from across country.  The pharmacist did not like the amount of the medicine I was prescribed, (it was a controlled substance for ADHD) so he refused to fill it. The next day, I talked to the manager of the pharmacy. He had him fired. While I didnt want him fired, I also didn't want him pushing his belief system on me. If he had trouble with the amount I was prescribed, he should have called my doctor and discussed it with him, not decide on his own what was morally ethical to prescribe or not . 
      June 25, 2018 3:15 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    Quite right to....I bet he'd create merry hell if a chemist refused to give him his medication......
    If he had doubts he could have easilly called your doctor to check if you were being over prescribed ..
      June 25, 2018 3:21 PM MDT
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  • 13071
    Yes I agree. He looked like a real weiner from the get go. ;)
      June 25, 2018 3:25 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    He should be done for make pratice .It could actually cause someone's death if they had run out .
    He should loose his licence instantly....and a spell in the Chokey would come amiss either....
      June 25, 2018 3:32 PM MDT
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  • I totally agree with Element 99.

    In this instance, a baby that has already died naturally has become an immediate threat to the mother's life.
    The chemist was potentially putting the woman's life at risk.

    If chemists start asserting that they have the right to make moral decisions over customer's medical needs, the end result could be a nightmare of multiple social injustices.

    That chemist deserves a course in re-education on customer rights, diplomacy and the principles of good service.

    I trust he has lost that woman's custom for life and that other locals will boycott his business.
      June 25, 2018 3:21 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    Certainly the pharmacist had no right to shame the woman the way he did. Beyond that, I don't have an answer.  You can't get an abortion at a Catholic hospital, but any physician you go to would know that.  Maybe the doctor---not as an obligation, but as a consideration to his patients--- should make himself aware of pharmacies that will fill such prescriptions without refusing and verbally editorializing. 

    And in a similar issue, we had the government official who refused to issue a marriage license to a gay couple not that long ago.

    I started researching an answer by searching "ethicist."  I came across this site as an interesting read---unfortunately it doesn't answer your question, but I'll post it anyway:  https://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/low_concept/2002/03/unasked_yet_answered.html
      June 25, 2018 3:25 PM MDT
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  • 7939
    This was the national chain Walgreens, which does normally provide the medication to customers. It was the individual pharmacist who took issue with the medication, eventually transferring the med to another Walgreens for the woman to obtain it there. At that point, though, she did call her physician because she no longer trusted Walgreens to provide the prescription and it sounds like the doctor stepped in and verified the second location would give her the med before she was willing to go over and find out. So, in this case, the doctor also had no way of knowing she would be treated like this. It's not a Walgreens policy. 
      June 25, 2018 5:26 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    I'm not assigning blame to anyone but the pharmacist.  I suspect the doctor might prepare a list of pharmacies that dispense the medications to future patients (if that in itself is ethical).
      June 26, 2018 8:27 PM MDT
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  • 22891
    theyre not there to judge, theyre there to do their jobs, the pregnancy was ending anyways, they didnt need to make her feel worse than she already felt. i think they should fire that pharmacist
      June 25, 2018 3:43 PM MDT
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  • 5391
    The Pharmacist is employed to follow the Dr’s instructions, to determine any conflicts with other medications, recommend alternatives where applicable and dispense the medication. Period. 

    The rest is derelict.The Pharmacist in question here should face reprimand or termination, and a review of their professional license. 
      June 25, 2018 4:28 PM MDT
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  • 10052
    I think that pharmacists who own their own pharmacies should be allowed to stock and dispense whatever medications they choose. I know there are pharmacy owners who refuse to have certain medications on the premises and I 100% agree with their right to do that. 

    It appears that he did have the right to refuse to do his job and to treat another human terribly. He also has the right to be terminated immediately and be listed as a co-defendant on the lawsuit against Walgreens that is probably already in the works. 

    And then we'll all be able to thank that a$$hole when we pay an extra nickel for cough drops. 
      June 25, 2018 6:03 PM MDT
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  • 6098
    Allowed by whom?   You write as though somehow they don't have free will or can't make decisions for themselves.  Unless that was store policy I would think anyone refusing to fill prescriptions would not last long at their job.  Goodness most prescriptions they do fill are harmful enough.  Sounds like they were just trying to publicize their personal views. 
      July 4, 2018 5:13 AM MDT
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