Texas pharmacist won't fill orders for birth control pills

Fabens pharmacist won't fill orders for birth control pills

Diana Washington Valdez
El Paso Times

Victor Calzada / El Paso Times
Idalia Moran tried to have a prescription for birth control pills filled at the Medicine Shoppe pharmacy in Fabens but was told the pharmacy would not fill the order.

A Fabens pharmacy owner is one of hundreds of pharmacists worldwide who are refusing to dispense medically prescribed birth control pills for religious or ethical reasons.

"Since this was in the news, I've gotten calls from people who are upset with me and others who see no problem with it," said pharmacist Steve Mosher, who owns the Medicine Shoppe in Fabens. "Some people are even blaming me for teen pregnancies in Fabens."

Idalia Moran, who is staying temporarily in Fabens with her mother, said she was shocked when she tried to obtain birth control pills on Saturday at the Medicine Shoppe, the only private pharmacy in the small town east of El Paso.

"A person at the counter told me that the pharmacist wasn't going to sell them to me because it was against his religion," Moran said. "I said, 'What?', and I had to go to a Walgreens in El Paso to get them. My husband was very upset. It's stupid. What does religion have to do with my prescription?"

Mosher, a Christian, said he dispensed birth control pills until last fall, when he listened to a medical expert on a radio program who described "the pill" as an abortifacient -- a drug that destroys a fertilized egg's ability to survive in the womb.

"I had waffled over this for years, but I've since stopped dispensing them," he said. "It was also a financial issue, and I've lost a lot of business because of my conviction. I fill some prescriptions for the pill, as long as it is used for menopause or other medical reasons besides birth control. I don't carry the 'morning-after' pill or anything like that."

An organization known as Pharmacists for Life International has a Web site devoted to pharmacists in the United States, Canada and elsewhere in the world who believe as Mosher does.

The group claims to have 1,500 members.

Texas pharmacy expert Barry Coleman said the American Pharmacy Association supports the ability of pharmacists to make judgments based on personal convictions, "but it also holds the position that a pharmacist who will not fill an order should refer the patient to someone else who will. What makes me uncomfortable here is that there is just one pharmacy in Fabens, which is a long way from El Paso."

Coleman said someone who has a complaint against a pharmacist may contact the Texas state board of pharmacy, "but it is difficult to go against this because pharmacists are free to follow their beliefs."

El Paso Planned Parenthood CEO Betty Hoover said the pharmacy owner is creating a barrier for women in Fabens who lack other means to readily obtain birth control pills.

"Planned Parenthood believes everyone should have access to family planning services," Hoover said. She added that "it's unconscionable" to prevent a woman from obtaining a legal prescription for birth control.


Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6140.

http://www.borderlandnews...8612.shtml

Measure in Love
Now the Lord is sayin' to me, "Whitey, Please..."

ehh..its a free market....people can go somewhere else and buy there pills.....

sosgemini said:

applekisses said:[quote]Fabens pharmacist won't fill orders for birth control pills

Diana Washington Valdez
El Paso Times

Victor Calzada / El Paso Times
Idalia Moran tried to have a prescription for birth control pills filled at the Medicine Shoppe pharmacy in Fabens but was told the pharmacy would not fill the order.

A Fabens pharmacy owner is one of hundreds of pharmacists worldwide who are refusing to dispense medically prescribed birth control pills for religious or ethical reasons.

"Since this was in the news, I've gotten calls from people who are upset with me and others who see no problem with it," said pharmacist Steve Mosher, who owns the Medicine Shoppe in Fabens. "Some people are even blaming me for teen pregnancies in Fabens."

Idalia Moran, who is staying temporarily in Fabens with her mother, said she was shocked when she tried to obtain birth control pills on Saturday at the Medicine Shoppe, the only private pharmacy in the small town east of El Paso.

"A person at the counter told me that the pharmacist wasn't going to sell them to me because it was against his religion," Moran said. "I said, 'What?', and I had to go to a Walgreens in El Paso to get them. My husband was very upset. It's stupid. What does religion have to do with my prescription?"

Mosher, a Christian, said he dispensed birth control pills until last fall, when he listened to a medical expert on a radio program who described "the pill" as an abortifacient -- a drug that destroys a fertilized egg's ability to survive in the womb.

"I had waffled over this for years, but I've since stopped dispensing them," he said. "It was also a financial issue, and I've lost a lot of business because of my conviction. I fill some prescriptions for the pill, as long as it is used for menopause or other medical reasons besides birth control. I don't carry the 'morning-after' pill or anything like that."

An organization known as Pharmacists for Life International has a Web site devoted to pharmacists in the United States, Canada and elsewhere in the world who believe as Mosher does.

The group claims to have 1,500 members.

Texas pharmacy expert Barry Coleman said the American Pharmacy Association supports the ability of pharmacists to make judgments based on personal convictions, "but it also holds the position that a pharmacist who will not fill an order should refer the patient to someone else who will. What makes me uncomfortable here is that there is just one pharmacy in Fabens, which is a long way from El Paso."

Coleman said someone who has a complaint against a pharmacist may contact the Texas state board of pharmacy, "but it is difficult to go against this because pharmacists are free to follow their beliefs."

El Paso Planned Parenthood CEO Betty Hoover said the pharmacy owner is creating a barrier for women in Fabens who lack other means to readily obtain birth control pills.

"Planned Parenthood believes everyone should have access to family planning services," Hoover said. She added that "it's unconscionable" to prevent a woman from obtaining a legal prescription for birth control.


The pharmacist in this case is a fucking idiot and should be stripped of his licence. This is what fanatical religious beliefs can do. It makes me sick.

HEY AS LONG AS HE STILL GIVE OUT ADDICTIVE PAINKILLER AND SLEEP PILL

EVERYTHING OK

kisscamille said:

Standing up for your right to Religion, or lack thereof, does include the freedom of others to act on theirs. If it is a privately owned establishment, He should have the right to sell or not sell whatever he chooses.
Is there a rep for Walgreen's out there? This city is taking bids.

seekingtruth said:

sosgemini said:

seekingtruth said:

Standing up for your right to Religion, or lack thereof, does include the freedom of others to act on theirs. If it is a privately owned establishment, He should have the right to sell or not sell whatever he chooses.
Is there a rep for Walgreen's out there? This city is taking bids.

we agree on something?

Can we evacuate all the smart people and nuclear bomb the south already?

I heard a story on NPR the other day in which these nurses would not distribute the morning after pill because they felt it was the same as abortion. 2 days worth of divided cells is nothing more than 2 days of divided cells.

Get out of the healthcare profession if you can't care for patients!

sosgemini said:

I don't understand this shit

These people need licences, right? Doesn't it say somewhere they are obliged to provide patients with the medicines they have prescriptions for? I think it should. What if doctors, or nurses, start refusing giving certain treatments because 'it is against their believes'?

"Oh, i don't believe in CPR, God gives and God takes" or some other crazyness.

I am not very up-to-date about regulations where i live, but i cannot see this happening here.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Measure in Love
Now the Lord is sayin' to me, "Whitey, Please..."

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Measure in Love
Now the Lord is sayin' to me, "Whitey, Please..."

It has everything to do with free market.
The fact that this city lacks the convenience of another pharmacy is in no way the responsibility of the one that does exist. I am sure that it is inconvenient to drive, but sometimes, that's life. If this inconvenience is causing enough demand, I am sure they could get another one in there.
I used to live in a small town that only had a McDonald's; I had no right to be upset with Ronald that he would not sell me a Whopper.

seekingtruth said:

I actually have to agree with the free market issue.
Right or wrong, I think the underlying point is the fact that the pharmacist in this case is the owner of the store.
It's unfair to the people in that area, but as the owner, he can choose to provide or refrain from providing whatever services he chooses.
He can do this just as easily as he can have magazines like Maxim and FHM removed from his shelves in favor of The Star or The Enquirer.
Unfortunately, in a place like that where he's the only pharmacist, the folks who live there will have to roll with his program or make a trip elsewhere.

I honestly cannot wait until such time that the "free market" dictates that people have to worship their gods in underground caves because you won't be singing that tune then. As an owner of a business the issue of free market enters the scene, however as a licensed pharmacist he should have his license yanked because it's not his free decision as a provider of healthcare services to force his beliefs on an individual who has made their legal choices in conjunction with their doctor.

Notice how the free market only counts as valid only when it conforms to fantatical beliefs? But when the free market wants something they don't agree with, they need to resort to underhanded tactics to force their beliefs on others? It's truly sickening.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

sosgemini said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

sosgemini said:

OdysseyMiles said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

sosgemini said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I'm obviously ignorant on the actual requirements that a pharmacist holds in their profession. A doctor cannot simply deny service to someone because they are an atheist, or a racist or because they disagree with any other such moral stance. The decisions have already been made by the woman and her doctor. He is not involved in the decision process. He is in the profession of providing people with the medicine, medications etc that are deemed necessary by their doctors. Is birth control absolutely necessary and a life or death situation? No. But that shouldn't matter if the person has chosen to take their reproductive future in their own hands.

I mean it is just appalling and sickening that right to lifers would rather deny birth control, which increases the chance that an unwanted pregnancy will occurr, which increases the likelyhood that an abortion will take place, rather than leave people be to make the choices that are right for their life. These people are mentally ill.

If this guy doesn't want to participate in the process, he should quit. Leave, take up a cross and nail himself to it. In many cases these people will not even refer someone to another place that will provide the service! Why should a person be held hostage to someone's fanaticism? He said he's lost a lot of business so there is the market for the service! You guys are totally wrong on this.

we are not living in the dark ages.....she can log onto her puter and find another pharmacy...

and you know what would work? boycott him!!! thats an effective way that this community can respond to his decision.....but i still think he has the right to run his business the way he sees fit...

Depending on your profession or the kind of store you run there are rules you have to follow, even if you are owner of the store. I don't know what a pharmacy-licence requires, but to me it would seem locig that it is required to supply all medication that is correctly prescribed by a doctor.

SpcMs said:

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

sosgemini said:

we are not living in the dark ages.....she can log onto her puter and find another pharmacy...

and you know what would work? boycott him!!! thats an effective way that this community can respond to his decision.....but i still think he has the right to run his business the way he sees fit...

If it was up to this guy, we would live in the dark ages.

I agree, boycott his ass and revoke his license so he can't play terrorist with other peoples lives. BTW I did not know you could get prescriptions over the net. Does the ban on that only apply to narcotics??