An appeals court today upheld a decision by the state Pharmacy Examining Board reprimanding and placing conditions on the license of a pharmacist who refused to fill or transfer a patient's prescription for an oral contraceptive.This case was a bit more cut-and-dry than those instances where a pharmacist simply refuses to fill the prescription themselves, but will transfer it to someone that will. That's a different, if equally important, can of worms.
In this case, however, the pharmacist was very clearly in violation of the law by not only refusing to fill the prescription, but also refusing to transfer it to someone or somewhere that would. Thankfully, the affected patient complained and appropriate disciplinary action was taken (and now upheld). Personally, I think his license should be revoked for this, but am mostly content with the court's ruling.
It seems like common sense, at least to me, that a person might think twice before taking a job that would likely entail doing things that go against their personal beliefs. For instance, I don't imagine someone who was staunchly against abortions would go to work at a clinic that offered the service. Why on earth would someone who was morally opposed to contraceptives go to work as a pharmacist who would, on many occasions, have to fill prescriptions for them?
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