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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Pharmacist's religious/moral objection to emergency contraception

355 replies

lilly0 · 07/02/2018 01:59

A while ago I went into Boots to buy the MAP. The pharmacist on duty wouldn't prescribe to me for religious reasons but pointed another pharmacy to me no biggy I thought but then I thought about it. Why would a pharmacist object to emergency contraception it isn't an abortion pill they don't seem to mind selling condoms and dispensing the pill ?
Is there any reason not to sell the MAP ?

OP posts:
WaywardOn3 · 07/02/2018 05:09

They should have a sign on the door stating that today's pharmacist is unable to dispense certain things due to moral objections or whatever so you don't even have to waste your time going into the store in the first place

Addy2 · 07/02/2018 05:10

I think they should be obligated to have another pharmacist on staff at all times to dispense the MAP in case someone requests it. Also nurses cannot refuse apparently, so I personally don't believe it should be an option.

www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/news/gphc-review-right-refuse-emergency-contraception

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/02/2018 05:14

As far as I’m concerned, this is another way to erode women’s rights. Those in authority or more powerful than us are dictating what is and isn’t acceptable for them without consideration for how it impacts on us.

LEELULUMPKIN · 07/02/2018 05:15

This is so wrong. Religion has no place in the workplace. What next? Bar staff who refuse to serve alcohol on religious grounds? Nowhere near as important clearly, but the principle is the same. I thought we were not supposed to discriminate against others based on gender, sexual preferences, religion. You were being discriminated against OP and I would certainly make my feelings known at Boots HQ. As a PP said, if they advertise as offering that service it should be available no matter who the pharmacist is that day.

Tinkety · 07/02/2018 05:24

How old was the pharmacist?

MAP only became available in the UK in the 80s & you could only get it by seeing a doctor / nurse in a family planning clinic, GP surgery or A&E & the practitioner would give it to you directly so there was no need to see a pharmacist. It moved to prescription in the 90s (I think) & only became available over the counter without a prescription in the 2000s.

I'm only mentioning this as I don't think it's fair to say someone should give up the career they worked hard for if dispensing MAP was not part of the job description when they qualified, especially as it's such a small part of what they do. I do fully agree that anyone who qualified after its introduction though should not be doing the job.

The issue of religious / moral objections is going to get more prevalent though as the relgious folk who believe life starts at fertilization usually also believe that you should stay in the body "god" gave you so as the trans movement gains momentum & Medicine progresses (who knows what will be available over the counter in 30 years) I think the list of drugs that pharmacists will refuse to dispense will grow!

StarWarsFanatic · 07/02/2018 05:36

It should be made more clear to people that this is a possibility when going for it.

There should be notices displaying that it can't be provided for example, as another poster has said.

Also the NHS website should differentiate between stores that always have it available and ones that don't. It should also advise you to contact the pharmacies beforehand to check if it is going to be dispensed. Although in this day and age you would think they could provide real time updates online for this sort of thing.

It also needs to be reinforced that it is emergency contraception. It prevents pregnancy, it doesn't terminate them. Although I do appreciate that people do have differing views on when conception happens and when life begins.

Veterinari · 07/02/2018 05:49

MsHopey it’s a legal procedure that I refuse to engage in because of my personal ethics, just like the pharmacist choosing not to dispense the MAP. From a professional/regulatory point of view the situations are similar.

Also it’s interesting the OP said that he pharmacist refused on religious grounds - did the pharmacist actually say this OP? Or did you assume it to be the case?

Veterinari · 07/02/2018 05:52

I thought we were not supposed to discriminate against others based on gender, sexual preferences, religion. You were being discriminated against OP

LEELULUMPKIN I don’t think ‘contraceptive failure’ is a protected characteristic under the equalities act. Ironically though you are calling for a complaint to be made against the pharmacist based on his/her religious beliefs - that potentially could be construed as discrimination.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 07/02/2018 05:57

This might be fine in big cities where there might be another pharmacist three doors fown, but that’s not true everywhere. The MAP is not an abortion pill. Pharmacists should not be denying women medication based on belief, especially when erroneous. Would they refuse to supply Viagra to a man who might use it for sex outside marriage (and adultery is in the Ten Commandments, so far more clearly a sin than preventing pregnancy).

catwoozle · 07/02/2018 06:03

I do worry about teenage girls they might be so mortified they wouldn't go back

This. You can well imagine someone spending days working themselves up to going taking it right up to the limit of when it would be effective and using their last money to get to the pharmacy and pay for the MAP...only to be turned away.

Diddums to middle aged, middle class religious types having to change careers. Tiny violins.

Mummyoflittledragon · 07/02/2018 06:06

catwoozle
Agreed

Petalflowers · 07/02/2018 06:06

I thought the pharmacist acted professionally. He couldn't sell it, but he did suggest an alternative pharmacy. However, signs at the pharmacy sayinhg it may not be available would be a good idea.

lakeg · 07/02/2018 06:26

Completely ridiculous. Their job is to dispense the medicine if it is in stock. I wonder what the company thinks about losing sales.

AprilW · 07/02/2018 06:38

Completely ridiculous to compare the MAP to tail docking, on any level, although it does demonstrate how little weight is given to women's health and reproductive autonomy.

You refuse to dock a tail? Outcome: a dog continues to have a tail.

You refuse to provide the MAP? Outcome: day by day, a woman's unwanted pregnancy progresses until, after 40 weeks of drastic and potentially fatal physical change, she is forced to give birth, which may damage or even kill her. Another human being now exists. Someone must assume financial and practical responsibility for them for at leas 16 years, including a multi-year formative stage where they require twenty-four-hour support for feeding and personal care.

So: no, not really like refusing tail-docking at all, even purely on a professional/regulatory point of view. The potential impact on at least one other human's life, on a huge scale and for a long duration, has to be factored in, not just glossed over as if all professional decisions are equal.

And I expect most MAP-refusing pharmacists would say, look, I'm not trying to affect this woman's life long-term: she'll get the MAP from someone, no harm done.

But then what outcome are they trying to achieve from their denial? It's impossible to reconcile the strength of the principle (women should not make their own reproductive decisions; conception trumps personal choice) to this half-assed 'oh, I know you'll do it anyway, just don't get me involved' attitude.

Do they secretly hope that the MAP won't be available anywhere and that the pregnancy will progress?

Or do they fully accept that this pregnancy will be prevented ,and just want to signal their disapproval (to the woman, to themselves, to the universe)?

If it's the former, they have no respect for women's choices or mental and physical health.

If it's the latter, they care more about virtue-signalling than the mental and physical health of their patients, an attitude which I consider incompatible with their status as a medical professional. The only defensible reason to deny legally permitted healthcare upon request is a) lack of confidence in your own competency to prescribe it properly, b) reasonable suspicion that it will be used for illegal purposes, c) awareness that the patient is in some way unsuited to this particular drug or procedure.

Refusing a request to provide legally-available healthcare when the lack of provision has severe and long-reaching consequences is not a morally neutral decision. The pharmacist isn't recusing him/herself from the issue of an unwanted pregnancy; they're further complicating it.

Iwillstartagainonmonday · 07/02/2018 06:42

I'd let boots know about this as I doubt they are allowed to refuse you the map because of religious reasons.

Iwillstartagainonmonday · 07/02/2018 06:46

No they shouldn't have a sign. She should do her job. If she cant do it 'for moral/religious' reasons then they should find another.

I'd be interested to know how far this pharmacist thinks this through. Is it just the MAP she objects against but is happy to dispense condoms for example? (yes I know theres probably someone else to so that but I'm thinking of the village pharmacy I use where grabbing someone else isn't always an option.

Iwillstartagainonmonday · 07/02/2018 06:47

She or he sorry?

But it wasn't that they couldn't sell it was it? They wouldn't sell it. The two are not the same.

WaywardOn3 · 07/02/2018 06:56

But at least with a sign you wouldn't waste any more of your time by going in only to queue up to be told sorry can't

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 07/02/2018 06:58

They have to not disadvantage the patient by taking a conscientious objection.

So if their colleague is there and you can be seen a few minutes later, fine.
If the objecting Pharmacist checks that the pharmacy down the road can give it, fine.

But I don't think they should be able to just turn you away and say try another pharmacy. What if the other pharmacy also conscientiously objects? What if the patient is too embarrassed to ask again?

Emergency contraceptive pill is less effective the longer you wait to take it.

noodlezoodle · 07/02/2018 07:01

If I'm going somewhere to use a service, I should receive that service consistently, according to the establishment's policy. It shouldn't depend on the beliefs or ethics of the individual member of staff who's on duty.

If that means that the place employs a back up member of staff to deliver the service then fine, but my obtaining legal treatment shouldn't vary based on who's on duty. Particularly in an emergency situation where the timing is critical.

Iwillstartagainonmonday · 07/02/2018 07:02

But that's not part of their job is it?

Just trying to imagine the sign 'sorry, the pharmacist on today is unwilling to dispense maps/condoms/insert other religious thing they object to here, if you're teenage girl who's spent days working yourself up to this, please work yourself up even more by needing to seek assistance elsewhere'.

Henrysmycat · 07/02/2018 07:04

What are your smoking Araiwa? It’s ok, you got served by another pharmacy? Are you an apologist for such discrimination?

HopelesslydevotedtoGu · 07/02/2018 07:08

Also I disagree that it is only a tiny part of their job.
Obviously they handle hundreds of other medications, but with most of these if you sent the patient elsewhere the patient would not be significantly disadvantaged. e.g. if the pharmacist says sorry I can't provide Viagra/ blood pressure tablets/ flu jabs or whatever, then the patient will usually not be significantly disadvantaged by going to another pharmacy the next day.

I think if you want to have a licence to run a pharmacy you should need to provide this useful time sensitive service. If an individual pharmacist objects, it is up to the pharmacy to make alternative arrangements eg a colleague, not to turn the patient away.

MuseumOfCurry · 07/02/2018 07:10

It's fine for someone to object to MAP on moral/religious grounds, but it stands to reason that he's in the wrong job. Throwing up obstacles for women seeking emergency contraception is not on.

ittakes2 · 07/02/2018 07:17

I think the pharmacist was fine to get another pharmacist to do it - but I don't think they needed to tell you why ie they object on religious grounds. You are obviously confident, but it would be a concern a very young girl might get upset at this response and not stay to get the pills. When pharmacists are busy, or don't have certain skills, and need to pass things off to another pharmacist - they don't explain this to the customer. They just say I will get 'A' to do that for you. Mentioning its a religious thing is kind of basically pointing out they have a moral stance against it. Also, MAP and coils prevent embryos implanting from my understanding. I'm not against them at all - but it is my understanding that if an egg has been fertilised by a sperm - the MAP and the coil create a hostile environment so they embryo does not bed down in the womb.