To think this is a bit off....But not sure why.

[Shortstuff08]

So, I had to go get the morning after pill today. I went to a high street retailer that has a pharmacy. They had a sign saying they provided it.

The woman behind the counter asked me if I was wanting the free one or to pay for it. I said that I assumed I would have to pay. She went away and came back and said they didn't provide the free one. I said that was fine and she told me that the Pharmacist would come our to see me in minute. A man approached me and asked if I was waiting. He then told me that he 'couldn't' provide MAP. I asked if they didn't have any and he said 'no, we do, but I can't give it'

Fair enough, I went to another high street store. Spoke to the Pharmacist there, she asked me a few questions about medication I am on and the gave me it. I said I was relieved she could as the other store couldn't give me it and thought I would spend all day looking for somewhere. She asked me where I had been and then said that some pharmacists, don't give it out due to religious purposes.

I don't think that's ok. If it's your job, how can you refuse on religious grounds? Or are some Pharmacists not able to administer it? Or am I being an arse in thinking that you should just do your job?

I'll probably be fried alive for this but If it certain things interfere with his Religious beliefs. He shouldn't be working in medicine. It's as simple as that.
Having your beliefs is absolutely fine.
Not a problem.
However I've always said. I don't think your beliefs should be inflicted on others.

I'm Catholic.We're not meant to use contraception. I still do though. As ive no desire to have anymore children and with the greatest respect The Catholic Church aren't going to keep my children,
or get up in the night when theyre screaming with colic, are they.

*not meant

I've heard of this before and not sure how I feel about it but after being a very scared 22 year old who got a lecture from a very religious doctor on the sacredness of life and how no one should deny it. straight after being told my pill had failed and I was pregnant. I don't think you should really be in a job that clashes with your beliefs or if you are you should just politely point them in the direction of someone else.

pro choice - choice can go both ways, you choose to take it they can choose to disagree and not give it.

No....It's is not someone else choice what I do in regards to my own fertility. Pro choice means that I get the choice. I was making g a decision for me, using a medical method I am entitled to use and legally entitled to use.

It's not pro choice if he gets to make the final decision, is it? So it's pro choice until you come up against someone who isn't pro choice, then you have to go with their choice.

The Catholic Church aren't going to keep my children,or get up in the night when theyre screaming with colic, are they.

No they arent. It's all well and good people telling you what you can and can't do, when they aren't the ones picking up the pieces.

Absolutely. Your body your choice
There's no argument for that as far as I'm concerned.

This seems crazy to me. Imagine it was a scared young teenager asking.

Unfortunately if beliefs interfere with your ability to do a job then you needs to find something else in that field. There are plenty of non customer facing roles. I would personally highlight this to the manager.

I would personally highlight this to the manager.

I have emailed the stores head office. I want to know how they can support this.

@Shortstuff08

Yes, you are legally entitled to it. But he is legally entitled to choose not to be involved. You don't want people messing with your rights or stopping you from exercising them entirely.... But you're currently on a campaign to take away someone else's right to choose to live by their conscience. There are other options. It is not the case that the majority refuse to dispense this.

I'd that changes, and every pharmacy is saying "I don't want too" then we would need to fight it. But whilst there are other options, why are you so determined that your right (protected by law) over-rides his right which is ALSO protected by law.

The only thing he did wrong was not providing you with information on other places; if that is your complaint then shout it loudly at head office. But do not interfere with his legal right to abstain from an act which he finds immoral. Ate you also going to campaign to force all GP's to refer for abortions? Are you going to demand that all doctors do a turn in an abortion clinic even if they want nothing to do with it? To force all nurses to do a turn in an abortion clinic even if they do not want to provide aftercare for that procedure?

Yes, it's horrible that some people think we shouldn't be allowed to have abortions or use contraception after the event. We should. But that's my feelings - not everyone is going to agree and they don't have too. Not when there are other options.

If vulnerable girls were being denied and then not going elsewhere, and subsequently giving birth to an unwanted child due to one pharmacist, then it would have been reported somewhere by now. This is not a huge problem. Leave people alone.

You are right OP its not someone else's choice to decide on your fertility, its your choice, and you did find the services you required. Imagine thought that all things like this were illegal and you didn't have the choice at all, it would be utterly crap position to be in, wanting to choose this cause of action but being told you cant have it a all full stop and you have to do something you really don't want to do, I cant begin to imagine the effect that would have on some women. However you can choose yes, but as a result what happens is the flip reverse of my above example, those who dont want to be part of it are then forced to be which is also wrong. People do need the freedom to choose where they sit, from your post he wasnt judging you, rude or anything like that, you were just uncomfortable with the fact that someone chose not to be part of your choice. Is an uncomfortable subject for some in many different ways, not just religious reasons.
My point is providing you can access these services and make that choice to suit your needs and get the support you want, please allow others to make their choice providing they are being polite and professional in the process. like I say its a hard subject that touches many and just because they say no doesnt mean they dont respect your choice to go elsewhere and do what you feel right is for you.

But he is legally entitled to choose not to be involved. You don't want people messing with your rights or stopping you from exercising them entirely.... But you're currently on a campaign to take away someone else's right to choose to live by their conscience. There are other options. It is not the case that the majority refuse to dispense this.

Firstly, as has been explained, sometimes there are not other options. As detailed by others on the thread.

Secondly it's actually unclear wether conscious objection is still legal. See the earlier links. It's seems to go against the Pharamacy charter.

Thirdly, he has no legal right to be a Pharamacist. That's a choice he made. I have a legal right to make my sexual health choices. My choices about my body should not be restricted because of one person interpretation of a non factual book. That's not giving me choice. That's choice dependent on someone else's opinion. He could choose not to be part of it, by choosing not to be a pharmacist.

Again I raise the issue of offering erectile dysfunction advice to men, who are not married. Would he do that? Would he ask for proof of marriage?

Or is religious conciensious objection only applicable when dealing with women?

I will be calling the Gphc to have the legal stance clarified.

And just because it's law, doesn't mean its not sexist or should not be challenged. He is allowed the ignore my legal rights. I can challenge his.

@Shortstuff08

The erectile dysfunction issue is irrelevant. Anyone following any religion can choose to adhere strictly to every part, or be more relaxed about some and still strict about others. I'm not religious but even I can see that sex before marriage is quite possibly a lesser sin than abortion (just to clarify, I don't think there is anything wrong with abortion).

There are a handful of instances where there is only one pharmacy etc, but for the majority this is not the case. We do not force people to forget their conscience just to satisfy the few. Your rights do not trump his. Your personal choice does not trump his personal choice. You are being very intolerant of the rights of others simply because you see your choice as the correct one. Well, he doesn't and he doesn't need to take part.

When I was early 20’s I was a rather pompous and pious student nurse. I said I objected to abortion on religious grounds. The Trusts take on that was that I did not have to participate in abortion procedures in theatre. However I had to nurse patients in exactly the same way before and after the procedure.

The erectile dysfunction issue is irrelevant. Anyone following any religion can choose to adhere strictly to every part, or be more relaxed about some and still strict about others. I'm not religious but even I can see that sex before marriage is quite possibly a lesser sin than abortion (just to clarify, I don't think there is anything wrong with abortion).

So therefore it's not being objected to on ground of religion. It's been objected to on the grounds of opinion.

A pharmacist does not have the right to refuse treatment on the grounds of personal opinion. If you read the links on page 3, the charter says their need that decisions on treatment should be always professional. The implication being that personal opinion is not relevant and should not be used.

And it just so happens his personal opinion impacts women's sexual health. It's ok to have sex outside marriage, but not ok to deal with the consquences of sex.

Your personal choice does not trump his personal choice. You are being very intolerant of the rights of others simply because you see your choice as the correct one. Well, he doesn't and he doesn't need to take part.

No I am not. I am being intolerant of people's choice and opinion impacted me and other women.

Can you explain why his opinion and rights trump mine and why I should just accept that?

@Shortstuff08

He didn't take away your right. There is a whole network available for you to get that treatment. So his adherence to the way he follows his religion had no affect on tour rights. But you demanding he be forced to dispense medication does have a direct affect on curtailing his rights.

Are you saying that anyone who objects to anything on religious grounds mist devoutly follow that religion and adhere to every rule and commandment without fail, or you will feel his religious objection invalid?

All I'm hearing is more intolerance from you, not from the pharmacist.

In relation to an earlier post OP, no-one is telling you what you can and cant do just because they think differently, no one is ignoring your legal right either they just don't want to be part of it for their own reasons which you don't know and could be very distressing also.

I can understand your frustration but again you did find the services you require during this difficult time, but you seem very angry. This is not a sexism issue at all, its a very sensitive issue in is own right that can affect many people, male and female, professionals and non professionals in very different ways and some times things are not and can not be as black and white as the law seems to make it, the issues are just to complex, and the law can simply proved a basic right or choice only.
I hope you get through your difficult time.

What I don't understand is that if for religious reasons you don't agree with using the MAP or abortion, then don't have one, that is your right. I don't believe it then is also your right to deny it to other women who don't share that belief who are looking for healthcare they are legally entitled to.

In a similar way to gay marriage, if you don't believe in gay marriage, don't have a gay marriage. It affects your life not one bit what other people do.

So homosexuals have no right to religion? Since that's against most religions, if they are gay but still want to follow a religion, would you say to them "well, it's not really tour religion then is it... It's just your personal opinions. You can't follow one part of a religion whilst defying another".

Oh wow if it's for religious reasons then why would they even stock it in the first place, absolute tools

@Bimgy85

He won't be the only pharmacist working there. The others will dispense it.

I am not very angry. I think it's wrong. If I think something is wrong, why should I just accept it.

What I am saying is that religion has no place in health care. Because of exactly what you have written. Religion is an opinion and people interpt it different ways. I always find it suspicious when it's intrepted in a way that impacts women but not men.

I am not intolerant of people's beliefs at all.

It's been ruled that the Catholic bakery was guilty of discrimination for not doing a cake a for a gay couple.

So how is it legal for this? Personal opinions are not allowed to impact a Pharamcists decision. How is this not a personal opinion?

The Morning After pill, is definitely a women's issue.

So homosexuals have no right to religion? Since that's against most religions, if they are gay but still want to follow a religion, would you say to them "well, it's not really tour religion then is it... It's just your personal opinions. You can't follow one part of a religion whilst defying another".

No they can do what they want. How is that impacting anyone else's choices?

I hope you get through your difficult time.

I am not having a difficult time

The condom split, I was a bit stressed.

I am mid 30s. Fairly confident and was fully aware of what should be available to sort my situation.

Thankfully I was not the person I was at 16, who is shitty themselves and that embarssed to ask for MAP, that being refused put me off asking elsewhere.

Thankfully as I drive, getting into town where there are a few pharmacies wasn't an issue.

But I also recognise that not everyone is in the same position as me.

@Shortstuff08

You've said that it's a personal opinion, not a religious choice, especially if the pharmacist would have no issue with premarital sex. So I'm infering from that that you think unless they follow the religion to the letter, then they can't claim religion. If they break one part, they can't use another as their defence. So homosexuals could never use religion as a reason for something? Gay jews couldn't refuse to work on the Sabbath?

Religion is not the same as a personal choice like being a vegan. It's deeply rooted in our history, in our society and is a huge, world wide way of life. It is not simply a personal choice.

He didn't affect your rights. He didn't stop your rights. He didn't stand in the way of your rights. He can refuse to be involved because there are others to pick up the slack. We all have a right to buy alcohol, but we don't need to force Muslims to sell it if they choose not too as there are other options.

I do not agree with the judgment against the bakery. However intolerant they were, they should have been afforded the right to refuse service to anyone. That couple could choose any bakery... why force someone to be involved in something they don't agree with when it caused no harm.