Los Angeles Times (April 5): Bills Target Pharmacists Who Say 'No'

From the Los Angeles Times
Dated Tuesday April 5

Bills Target Pharmacists Who Say 'No'
Lawmakers will consider two measures to force druggists to fill contraceptive and other prescriptions despite their moral objections.
By Jordan Rau, Times Staff Writer

Sacramento — With drugstores now a battleground in the war over reproductive rights, California lawmakers today will consider whether to create the nation's first law requiring pharmacists to fill emergency contraception prescriptions and other medications even if they find them immoral.

Two Democratic bills pending in the Legislature would require druggists to dispense all lawful drugs. Both proposals would allow California's 25,000 pharmacists to demur only if the store could ensure that the prescription would be filled by another without excessive inconvenience to the patient.

The push in Sacramento comes after four more states — Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota — gave pharmacists the right to refuse to fill orders about which they have moral qualms.

Reproductive-rights groups are pressing lawmakers elsewhere, including Missouri, New Jersey and West Virginia, to establish professional-duty laws for pharmacists. On Friday, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued a 150-day emergency order that would require pharmacists to fill contraceptive prescriptions, after a Chicago druggist refused to dispense birth-control pills.

Read more.

As I mentioned in another thread, it's ridiculous to regulate taxicabs more than you regulate pharmacists.

There isn't a city in the county that prohibits taxi drivers from refusing fares unless specific conditions are present (threatening behavior, failure to pay and/or extreme drunkeness, usually).

Taxi drivers cannot refuse to take their passengers to a strip joint due to 'moral issues', nor can they refuse to take a fare to a church due to philosophical issues. In many cities, there are anti-redlining type laws even regulating the delivery of pizza.

So why shouldn't pharmacists be required to follow the same laws about serving the public?

And don't even get me started on doctors who try to pull this kind of crap...

These bills require individuals to dispense if they carry it regardless of circumstances. A reasonable thing to do. They do not require that they carry the medication. For example CVS or other major chain could be pressured not to carry RU488 for fear of liability etc. These new laws can not and will not address that.

I bring this up since many ignore that point. By example, does it matter that abortion on demand is legal if you can't find a provider in your area code, county, region or state?

If they can not block it one way, they will find another.

I think they carry bc pills.

There's always Costco instead. Boycott all Red companies. There are plenty of Blue companies to pick up the slack for any wordly goods people need.

Choose Blue.
http://www.choosetheblue.com/main.php

Choose a Shopping Category


Automotive
Computers and Video Games
Consumer Electronics
Entertainment and News
Financial
Groceries
Household
Machinery and Equipment
Restaurants and Bars
Retail Shopping and Fashion
Shipping and Transportation
Sports
Telephone and Internet
Travel
Utilities
Look for a specific brand

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/182915_costco21.html
.....
Costco Chief Executive Officer Jim Sinegal, 68, is a Democrat who says President Bush's $1.7 trillion in tax cuts unfairly benefit the wealthy. He opposed the Iraq war and supports Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts for president. And he's the only chief executive of a company in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to donate money to independent political groups formed to oust Bush, Internal Revenue Service records show.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer and owner of Sam's Club warehouse stores, gives more money to Republican candidates than any other company does. Its top three managers, including Chief Executive H. Lee Scott, donated the individual maximum $2,000 to Bush, and Jay Allen, vice president for corporate affairs, raised at least $100,000 to re-elect the president, earning him the Bush campaign's designation of "Pioneer."

Wal-Mart -- two-thirds of whose 3,580 stores are in the "red states" that voted for Bush in 2000 -- is backing White House policies on everything from trade to limiting overtime pay.

"Wal-Mart is extremely strong in Republican strongholds; they are a red-state retailer," said Amy Bonkoski, an investment adviser at Cleveland-based National City Corp.'s private-client group, which manages about $26 billion, including Wal-Mart and Costco shares.
....

just ignore me...