update - pharmicist fired for denying morning-after pill

[veganwitch]

http://www.nbc5i.com/health/2841809/detail.html

In Denton, a pharmacist for Eckerd said he and two other pharmacists have been fired.

The three had refused to fill an emergency contraception prescription for a woman who had been raped. Gene Herr said he and two co-workers, whom he would not name, were fired Jan. 29, six days after declining to fill the prescription.

<snip>

Herr said he was unaware that Eckerd policy prohibits pharmacists from opting out of filling a prescription for religious, moral or ethical reasons

right now the poll on the page shows that 85% of people think that he should have been fired.

from CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/02/12/pharmacy.firing.ap/index.html

<snip>

Gallagher said Eckerd's employment manual says pharmacists are not allowed to opt out of filling a prescription for religious, moral or ethical reasons.

Herr said he did not know about that policy until his supervisors questioned him about it shortly before he was fired.

"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," he said.

then read your fucking employees manual. and i love that, apparently from this statement, if he had known that eckerd's policy didnt allow the opt-out, he would have filled it. so this was a blanant show of power and personal bias over the patient's well-being. this fuckwad is in the wrong field.

[zanana]

1. GOOD.

I hope he doesn't find another job in a pharmacy.

[RainDog]

6. he could work at a "faith-based" pharmacy

if these people do not want to honor modern medicine, they can always set up their own bizzes.

no doubt they would do a swift biz in snake handling for all those illnesses god inflicts upon the wicked fundies, though.

I think Wal-Mart allows the opt out. Just another reason to NEVER SHOP AT WAL-MART.

[ComerPerro]

17. LMAO at the idea of a "faith-based pharmacy"

"You don't need that perscription. Just pray and donate to the church and the 700 Club"

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. Good-that was incredibly unprofessional of him

I hope the woman files a civil suit against him also.

[bleedingheart]

3. He deserved to be fired.

However the only reason this is getting any attention is because the woman had been raped and rape is one of those issues that make even pro-life activists a bit "iffy"

However I wonder how many other women he has done that to in the past have gone off to another pharmacy to have a prescription filled and they kept quiet.

[RainDog]

4. Of more the 18,000 people who answered the poll,

85% of these think the pharmacists should have been fired.

this is on a mainstream news site.

between this guy and the pilot on American Airlines, maybe Americans will realize that a vote for Bush is a vote to legitimize religious nutcases.

[Mandate My Ass]

5. They should make this OTC

Incidents like this one prove to me that the anti-choice crowd is full of shit. They don't want to prevent unwanted pregnancies, they want to control a woman's reproductive choices.

I hope the woman sues because there's no doubt she will win and the next zygote zealot will have to think twice before trying to impose his will on someone else.

[RainDog]

7. I hope she sues, too

and I hope she bankrupts these three men.

they deserve no better than this.

[trumad]

8. It's business

How many customers did Eckerds lose and how many did Walgreens get?

[DarkPhenyx]

9. Most unfortunate.

Now he will become a martyr.

[flamingyouth]

10. He had called his pastor for advice

...while the woman was still there. Great, I really want some complete stranger (with no medical background) discussing my medical history. :scared:

Glad the guy was fired. :bounce:

[2004Donkeys]

11. Are you serious? This is prosecutable

n/t

[bleedingheart]

12. If he gave her name I think it is against the law

because of HIPPA (I think that is what they call it)...

However to discuss it in a discrete manner may not be....but not sure

[fishnfla]

19. Major HIPPA violation

10K fine

[rexcat]

13. If he called someone and discussed the situation

with without the permission of the patient he is in violation of the new HIPAA law enacted 04/14/2003.

[RainDog]

18. the sue the "pastor" too

because I am sick, sick, sick of these assholes.

since when is a pastor a medical professional who should be allowed to determine whethe or not a female gets the medication THAT HER DOCTOR PRESCRIBED?!?!?!?!?

Sue the pastor and bankrupt the whole lot of them.

It's time to take back our country from the Tali-born-agains before we end up like Afghanistan on the Rio Grande.

[patricia92243]

14. What is the rest of this story? Was she able to get the prescription.....

filled somewhere else?

Being raped is bad enough and then for a pharmacist to "force" you to have a baby is beyond belief. And, if he had his way, this is what could have happened!

Anybody know if she is alright?

[PVnRT]

15. Yes

She got it filled elsewhere and all is well.

[PVnRT]

16. I'm glad

that Rite-Aid jumped all over this like they did.