Originally published December 18 2005
Survey of pharmacists finds the majority oppose being forced to fill morning after pill prescriptions
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
HCD Research, a New Jersey-based marketing and communications research company, surveyed a sample of 859 pharmacists and found that 69 percent of respondents opposed state laws that require pharmacists to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception pills.
In a recent survey of US pharmacists, 39 percent of respondents said they were against state laws that would require them to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception, otherwise known as the morning-after pill.
This finding comes just days after four Illinois pharmacists were put on unpaid leave by their employer Walgreen Co. for refusing to fill such prescriptions.
According to media reports, their refusals, apparently due to moral or religious objections, go against a state rule imposed in April that requires pharmacies selling FDA-approved contraceptives to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control.
The Walgreen policy, according to a spokesperson, is that pharmacists can refuse to prescribe agents that violate their moral beliefs, except where state law prohibits, provided that they take steps to have the prescription filled elsewhere.
Attorneys for the pharmacists are considering legal action if Walgreen does not reconsider its stance against their clients.
In the current survey, HCD Research, a New Jersey-based marketing and communications research company, surveyed a nationally representative sample of 859 pharmacists.
"Sixty-nine percent of pharmacists said they should have the authority to refuse filling prescriptions for emergency contraception," Glenn R. Kessler, managing partner of HCD Research, told Reuters Health.
"We are actually daunted by the number of pharmacists who've called us to explain their feelings on this topic.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents believed that state laws should not require pharmacists to fill certain prescriptions, Kessler said.
The remaining 61 percent were generally in favor of laws requiring pharmacists to fill prescriptions, but the majority favored having the option of referring patients to a different pharmacist if they found a prescription objectionable.
By comparison, in a poll of physicians conducted by HCD Research in June, 79 percent of respondents supported state laws that require pharmacists to fill prescriptions despite their religious objections.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml