Emergency contraception rule on way to becoming permanent

[Judi Lynn]

Emergency contraception rule on way to becoming permanent

By MAURA KELLY LANNAN
Associated Press Writer
Published August 16, 2005, 3:28 PM CDT


A temporary rule that requires Illinois pharmacies to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception cleared its final political hurdle Tuesday on its way to becoming permanent.

Lawmakers on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules did not object to the rule becoming permanent during a meeting Tuesday, but the rule must be filed with Secretary of State before it's official.

The rule, which Gov. Rod Blagojevich imposed on an emergency basis in April, requires pharmacies in the state that sell contraceptives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control such as the morning-after pill. Pharmacies that do not fill prescriptions for any type of contraception are not required to follow the rule.

"Women can feel confident from here on out, that when they have a signed prescription from their doctor for birth control and go to a pharmacy that sells birth control, they'll get their medication quickly without questions or lectures," Blagojevich said in a news release.

Under the rule, if the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must provide an alternative drug, order the drug requested, transfer the prescription to another local pharmacy of the patient's choice or return the prescription to the patient.
(snip/...)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050816birthcontrol,1,7894398.story?coll=chi-news-hed
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[rodeodance]

1. good for Illi.

[MaineDem]

2. Women in one more state get good news

Thank you, Illinois. Now if the FDA would just rule on this!

[shaniqua6392]

3. There is hope yet.

Bet the rupugs are going to hate this one.

[WindRavenX]

4. Good news...

...in a sea of bad shit news, this made me smile :thumbsup:

[Zenlitened]

5. Excellent news!

:applause:

Pharmacists do not have the right to pick and choose what prescriptions they will fill. It's all or nothing, folks. If you want to decide what is and is not an appropriate course of treatment for a patient, go get an MD degree.

[primavera]

6. Not to rain on anyone's parade...

... but doesn't it say that pharmacists who don't dispense contraceptives aren't bound by this rule? So couldn't this backlash and cause wingnut fundie pharmacists to give up dispensing contraceptives at all rather than be required to dispense the morning after pill?

[cap]

7. actually it forces the issue...

because people will get mad at their pharmacist for not fulfilling prescriptions.

[atreides1]

8. True

But the big chain stores like Walgreens, Osco, CVS, and even pharmacies at Wal-Mart, Target, and KMart won't fall back on that option, because it would hurt their pockets.

It will be the small Mom & Pop operations that will start to feel the pinch in their wallets when they start to lose customers.

Besides it doesn't say dispense, it says sells contraceptives that
are approved by the FDA.

[Zenlitened]

10. I suppose there's that risk, but I'm hopeful the big chains, at least....

... will not sacrifice profits to the rantings of a few fundies.

Another plus to the law is that it should prevent women from being blind-sided -- at the worst possible moment -- by some fundie freak who not only won't fill her prescription, but refuse to give the slip of paper back. That's just crazy shit.

[primavera]

16. I'm speechless

I don't know why it should surprise me to hear that sort of thing happens, but still, I would imagine that would be actionable. I mean, whether the pharmacist is obliged to dispense the morning after pill is - astonishingly - a point on which people can evidently disagree, but to take a prescription from someone so that they can't fill it anywhere, shit, I mean, isn't that theft of personal property? Couldn't you press criminal charges against someone for a thing like that? Damn, I'd love to see one of these zealots stand trial for this kind of crap!

[Southpaw Bookworm]

18. First you'd have to find a police officer

Who would write up the charges, and unfortunately, in the areas where this is most likely to happen, law enforcement is most likely going to be on the side of the pharmacist keeping those evil sluts from having sex without consequences.

[VegasWolf]

9. They should force all pharmacies that don't provide reproductive

services to carry a black sign or indicator on their front door to let people know that this is a backwards pharmacy.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

11. They should be forced to close

Since they obviously can't provide appropriate health care services to all.

[Zenlitened]

12. Something, anything indicating their policy. A sign on the door...

... a printed notice at the prescription drop-off area. Something.

In Massachusetts, all retail stores are required to post their return policy in a prominent place. I think a similar requirement for pharmacies, listing the FDA-approved drugs they will not dispense, would be reasonable.

[NashVegas]

14. Wrong Idea

Better to have pharmacies that do sell them voluntarily place some kind of sign. That way, no one can complain about government intervention.

[HockeyMom]

13. If they don't stock the Morning After,

may I make a suggestion? Stock plain old birth control pills, preferably the Progestin Only, so called Mini Pill. Take two (or three) a day for a couple of days and you will have your Morning After Pill.

What do they think women used to do BEFORE the Morning After Pill came out?

[Sgent]

15. That would make sense

but your doctor would have to change the script.

[Bassic]

17. Great news but...

How many pharmacies are going to stop selling contraception altogether? Hope they all fall in line.