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 | 2004-JAN-29: TX: Eckerd Corp. fires three pharmacists over EC: Fox News reported that Eckerd Corp. fired three of their Denton, TX pharmacists because they refused to fill an emergency contraception prescription for a woman who had been raped. Gene Herr said that he and two coworkers were fired six days after their refusal. He said that his own refusal was based on religious grounds. He allegedly believes that the medication could have killed an embryo if the woman had already conceived. He had allegedly declined to fill prescriptions for EC at least five times in the past. However, this was the first time that a case had involved a rape victim. He is reported as saying: "I went in the back room and briefly prayed about it. I actually called my pastor ... and asked him what he thought about it." The other two pharmacists who were on duty also refused to fill the prescription. The woman was able to eventually have it filled at a nearby pharmacy. Joan Gallagher, the vice president of communications for Eckerd said that their employment manual says that pharmacists are not allowed to opt out of filling prescriptions for religious, moral or ethical reasons. Eckerd may have had inadequate training in place. Herr said: "In my mind if I agree to work for someone knowing that that's their policy, then I should submit to that policy. But I didn't even know about it." 1 |
| 2004-FEB-11: ME: State senate passes
bill to allow EC with no prescription: The Maine Senate passed a
bill that would allow specially trained pharmacists to dispense EC
without a doctor's prescription. The vote was 19 to 13. An amendment
that would have required minors to get parental consent was rejected by
a vote of 21 to 11.The next step will be for the House to debate the
issue. Rep. Nancy Sullivan, (D-Biddeford) said: "I would hope that we
will pass it." Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian
Civic League of Maine, predicted the bill's defeat in the House. If passed into law, Maine would become the sixth state in the U.S. to create such a law. A number of family planning and women's groups have argued that making EC more accessible would reduce unwanted pregnancies and thus reduce the number of abortions. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, the Christian Civic League of Maine, and other groups, expressed concern that women might abuse the pills if they are too easy to get. Sen. Kenneth Blais, (R-Litchfield), and some other legislators, feel that parents should be involved in the decision to use EC. Blais said: "As a parent, I'm very uncomfortable with relegating my parental responsibilities to a pharmacist in this matter. What it reflects is the movement of parental responsibility away from parents and to the state." This comment seems to show that he misunderstands the content of the bill. The state would not be involved in the decision whether to use EC; this would be only by agreement between the woman and her pharmacist. 2 |
| 2004-MAY-6: U.S.: FDA rejects over-the-counter status for EC: The Food and Drug Administration received a recommendation by its advisory panel to make Barr Pharmaceuticals' Plan B available "over the counter" without a physician's prescription. However the FDA administration rejected the conclusion of its own panel and decided to make no changes in the drug's distribution. Fundamentalist Christian groups such as the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America applauded the decision. Many Democrats and a few Republicans criticized the FDA. 5 | ||||||||||||
| 2004-MAY-19: Canada: Health Canada proposes to make EC available
without a prescription: Women in British Columbia, Quebec and
Saskatchewan are able to purchase the emergency contraception
Levonorgestrel (Plan B) from pharmacists without a prescription. Health
Minister Pierre Pettigrew is proposing that this policy be extended
across Canada. This would make it easier for women to obtain the
medication overnight, on weekends and holidays when doctor's offices are
closed. Some responses were reported in the media:
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| 2004-JUN-2: U.S.: FDA may still approve EC for sale over-the-counter: Representative James Greenwood (R-PA) met with Steven Galson, acting director of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Greenwood indicated with confidence that the FDA would reverse its earlier decision and make the contraceptive Plan B available over the counter before the end of 2004. Amy Allina of the National Women's Health Network expressed pessimism that EC would be made available without prescription. She said: "That would a big surprise for me. But it would be a good thing for women." Gloria Feldt, of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said, "I bet it wouldn't happen before the election. If science prevails [over politics], it will happen sooner instead of later." 5 The largest gynecologists' association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, estimates that the move could cut in half the 3 million U.S. unwanted pregnancies each year. The impact on abortion would be massive. | ||||||||||||
| 2004-JUN-20: AL: Alabama to continue distribution of EC: Public Health Department Officials in Alabama had allowed family planning clinics to distribute EC. The government is now under pressure to discontinue the practice. According to Associated Press: "Christian Coalition president John Giles says it's promoting a whole new market for young teenagers to get pregnant and run to the Health Department to get bailed out." State Health Officer Dr. Don Williamson considers it "good health policy." State congressman Robert Alderhold believes that the pills cause abortions; state health officials believe that the pills reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and thus reduce the number of abortions. 6 | ||||||||||||
| 2004-JUL-10: AL: EC distribution causes debate: Fox News reports that some Department of Public Health nurses are quitting their jobs rather than going against their religious beliefs by distributing EC to clients so that the latter will not become pregnant. Dr. Donald Williamson of the Alabama Department of Public Health said: "If emergency contraception were more widely available, more than 4,000 of the 10,000 abortions in Alabama would be prevented. It becomes good public policy." Apparently out of ignorance, Fox News accompanied their article with a picture of a one month contraceptive pill dispenser, rather than a picture of emergency contraception medication. 7 | ||||||||||||
| 2004-OCT-18: USA: Barr Pharmaceuticals reapply: This company manufactures Plan B emergency contraceptive pills. Their request to sell Plan B to anyone was turned down earlier this year. They have recently reapplied for permission to sell it to persons 16 years of age or older. Sixteen years of age is the average age at which teens become sexually active. Those younger than 16 would still require a prescription from a doctor. They anticipated a decision by the FDA sometime in 2005. 8 |
References used:
- "Pharmacists Fired for Refusing Morning-After Pill," Associated Press, 2004-FEB-11, at: http://www.foxnews.com/
- Paul Carrier, "Senate OKs sales of morning-after pill," Portland Press Herald, 2004-FEB-12, at: http://www.pressherald.com/
- Karen Palmer, "Morning-after contraceptive pill may be easier to obtain," The Toronto Star, 2004-MAY-19, Page A19.
- "Morning-after pill to go behind the counter," Today's Family News, Focus on the Family Canada, 2004-MAY-21.
- Bob Cusack, "FDA likely to approve Plan B pill," The Hill, 2004-JUN-09, at: http://www.thehill.com/
- "State to Continue Offering 'Morning After' Pills," Alabama Associated Press, 2004-JUN-20. at: http://www.wsfa.com/
- "Ala. Morning-After Pill Policy Stirs Debate," Fox News, 2004-JUL-10, at: http://www.foxnews.com/
- Martha Irvine, "FDA weighs morning-after pill for teens," Yahoo! News, 2004-OCT-18, at: http://news.yahoo.com/
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Copyright © 2004 to 2007 by Ontario Consultants on
Religious Tolerance
Created: 2004-FEB-12
Latest update: 2007-MAY-25
Author: B.A. Robinson
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