Court: Religious kooks may deny emergency pill

[SLCPUNK]

By CURT WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 50 minutes ago

SEATTLE - A federal judge has suspended Washington state's requirement that pharmacists sell "morning-after" birth control pills, a victory for druggists who claim their moral objections to the drug are being bulldozed by the government.

In an injunction signed Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton said pharmacists can refuse to sell the morning-after pill if they refer the customer to another nearby source. Pharmacists' employers also are protected by the order.

The emergency contraception sold as Plan B is a high dose of a drug found in many regular birth-control pills. It can dramatically lower the risk of pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

Critics consider the pill tantamount to abortion, although it is different from the abortion pill RU-486 and has no effect on women who already are pregnant.

Under pressure from Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, state regulators this year ruled that druggists couldn't withhold any prescription because of their personal objections.

Two pharmacists and a drugstore owner sued the state in July over the new rule, saying it violates their civil rights. They asked the judge to halt forced Plan B sales while the lawsuit is in play.

"On the issue of free exercise of religion alone, the evidence before the court convinces it that plaintiffs ... have demonstrated both a likelihood of success on the merits and the possibility of irreparable injury," Leighton wrote.

The injunction effectively sets up a so-called "refuse and refer" system, allowing pharmacists who personally oppose Plan B to send customers to another pharmacy.

Women's groups, abortion-rights advocates and Gregoire have opposed that approach, saying women who seek emergency contraception must get the pills as quickly as possible for them to work.

Kristen Waggoner, an attorney for the pharmacists and drug store owner, said, "We believe strongly that forcing someone to choose between their religious beliefs and actually losing their business or their career is unconstitutional."

Plan B's manufacturer, Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., last year got approval to sell the drug without a prescription to women 18 and older.

Several states have enacted laws to improve rape survivors' access to the medication in hospital emergency rooms. Some states also have laws that protect pharmacy employees who refuse to sell the contraceptive for reasons of conscience.

[fuckin crazy]

If these kooks had their way, we would go back to ...

[SLCPUNK]

It's so ridiculous. If you have a job, do it, don't refuse treatment to the public because you disagree with it. Your personal opinions should be irrelevant here.

[freedom78]

I wonder what percentage of pharmacists are opposed to this medicine, to the extent that they won't carry it.

[SLCPUNK]

I wonder what percentage of pharmacists are opposed to this medicine, to the extent that they won't carry it.

I dunno.

Pharmacy school is not for slouches. You'd think they'd have more than enough education to understand that the morning after pill is not the same as an abortion pill.

[Axl4Prez2004]

^ SLC, ridiculous religious beliefs trump education almost every single time.  I work with "educated" folks who have Masters and PHD degrees and they are young earth creationists.  It's all quite sad.   

 

[DeN]

not only sad, but scary.

[TAP]

^ SLC, ridiculous religious beliefs trump education almost every single time.  I work with "educated" folks who have Masters and PHD degrees and they are young earth creationists.  It's all quite sad.   

 

What subjects do they have their degrees in?

[Axl4Prez2004]

^  Masters in Business Administration...PHD in Biomechanics and Movement Sciences...both also have undergrad degrees in science fields.      

[TAP]

^  Masters in Business Administration...PHD in Biomechanics and Movement Sciences...both also have undergrad degrees in science fields.      

MBA I can kind of understand, but a PhD in biomechanics for a YEC is truly bizarre.

[Axl4Prez2004]

I thought so too...but what's even more scary is that the mba had an undergrad degree from a science-centric college.

It's a lot more prevalent than you'd expect. 

[TAP]

I thought so too...but what's even more scary is that the mba had an undergrad degree from a science-centric college.

It's a lot more prevalent than you'd expect. 

Unfortunately I do know how prevalent it is. And not to offend anyone, but you don't really need to know too much about science to get an
undergraduate degree in science.

[Prometheus]

sp true tap..... some of the most braindead ppl i know have college degrees, even up to Phd lvl... granted.... I know far more stupid ppl in general.... but the ones that blow my mind are the ones that have degrees

[polluxlm]

Not too surprising. You tend to get locked in a specific mindset when you go to school. The general dogma is 'repeat, repeat, repeat'.

I've learned far more on my own than in any of my previous studies.