To think if a pharmacist refuses to dispense medication due to religious or personal beliefs

[Soubriquet]

They shouldn’t be a pharmacist.

I mean, the morning after pill is healthcare. Your personal or religious beliefs shouldn’t come into this.

But how does emergency contraception go against anyone’s morals? Unless they also disagree with condoms and all the other contraceptions. I’d agree that no one should be forced to participate in an abortion, including dispensing the abortion pill in the early weeks. But the MAP does nothing is a pregnancy has already happened. So what’s the issue?

It doesn’t really matter why anything is a moral issue for an individual. If it is it is. It’s not necessary to understand the reason for someone’s views to respect their right to them.

Yeah… but when they refuse women the MAP and even the contraceptive pill, but still sell condoms then that is a problem. You’re taking control away from women and putting us in the situation of having to rely on a man to actually wear the condom because we couldn’t put prescription of the pill and we won’t be able to get the MAP if he refuses to
wear a condom.

You ever been almost about to have sex when you’ve told a guy to put on a condom and he has gotten angry? It’s a very scary and vulnerable place to be.

Women should be able to access any form of contraception from any healthcare provider and not be forced to rely on men wearing a condom.

Well actually it does matter when it’s having a negative impact on someone and stopping them getting the medication they need.

I think this should be challenged - it doesn’t even make sense. I don’t agree with (but I understand) not wanting to carry out abortions, but MAP and contraception pills are actively preventing the need for abortion.

You missed my point. It’s nothing to do with making sense to you or me. You or I may have some moral objection to something that appears totally bonkers to the rest of the world, we should still expect to have that respected.

The condom argument is irrelevant @WarshipRocinante. You don’t need the involvement of a pharmacist to buy condoms.

No. So I would not be a pharmacist if I felt this way.

A private company can't be forced to supply something they don't want to supply.

YANBU. It's honestly one of those really awful loopholes nobody has thought to bother closing.

Around 20yr ago my best friend and I needed to get the morning after pill for her after a condom broke. We went to Boots, where it was free at that time, and the pharmacist decline to give it based on their religious beliefs, and said there was nobody else available who could. They 'helpfully' advised that we go to the supermarket across the road.

We went there, and they were charging £26 for it. We didn't have the money. So she went without. Thankfully she didn't end up pregnant but I have thought ever since how easily that could have happened.

Any pharmacist who behaves like this has shown they're not fit to be a chemist to begin with. To lack the intellect to realise that the MAP isn't an abortion pill, it's a pill that can prevent conception, is quite staggering considering the training they go through.

I heavily encourage anyone who experiences this to publicly complain about the chemist and pharmacist online wherever you can. Yes, they're allowed to do this, but chemists will stop employing pharmacists whose actions attract negative reviews if they get enough of them.

Not really.

I'm vegan. If I decided as a pharmacist I wouldn't dispense any medication that contains an animal product (gelatine capsules, milk proteins in medicines, numerous other items) do you think my employer would go 'oh okay then, that's your right'? No, they obviously wouldn't.

You do realise I’m talking about the broader principle, not pharmacists specifically? Anyway they currently have legal protection and the shortage of pharmacists means it’s unlikely to change any time soon.

I don’t think in 2024 we should be blindly accepting this is what I’m saying.

It shouldn’t be that women are denied these medications, which can have a huge impact on their life as many have shared on this thread, for a reason that is not even logical but we need to just accept that “because religion”.

Tbh, I'm not sure that companies are accepting of pharmacists refusing to dispense things either. If there is another pharmacist on the premises and it has no impact on the business because they can do the dispensing of MAP then they may not care. If they lose money they will although it will depend on how easy it is to get pharmacists to work for them. Telling customers the MAP isn't in stock probably isn't a huge problem but refusing to dispense the contraceptive pill and telling the customer why would mean the pharmacist stops being employed. I bet the pharmacists who have done this have been young and naive.

This! ^

And if things change AFTER you have started any given career, (like if you're a Pharmacist, and the MAP is now available at a pharmacy, and your religion forbids dispensing it,) then change careers! Can't fulfil your role properly anymore? Don't do that job anymore!

I used to know several people who were born in the 1940s or 1950s and worked in offices (in admin and secretarial,) and also in shops, in the 1970s and 1980s, and early 1990s. They worked with typewriters, and manual tills, and when computers became the norm, (late nineties/early noughties,) and also computerised tills (that are basically computers!) they couldn't use them OR they refused to learn to, and they wanted to stay with the old things.

They were pretty much told if they don't adapt they need to leave. I know this is a different scenario, but it's similar. People going into a career or job that has certain things/criteria, and things change, and they won't/can't adapt to it. If they can't do the job properly anymore, then they need to leave, and move into another job. And that includes Pharmacists ...

Pharmacists who run their own practice who REFUSE certain meds - like the MAP - because of their religion, need reporting to the General Pharmaceutical Council. They should not be in the job if they can't fulfil the role properly.

Pharmacists who run their own practice who REFUSE certain meds - like the MAP - because of their religion, need reporting to the General Pharmaceutical Council

What would that achieve when they have a legal exemption? A business owner can stock exactly what they choose within the law.

Given the General Pharmaceutical Council says that they can refuse as long as they direct the patient to where they can get it, there would be no point reporting it. They don't have to dispense any prescriptions if they don't want to let alone MAP. If they are the owner of a pharmacy what they do and don't dispense for the NHS will depend on their contract and it is their choice as to whether they sign up.

Some of you seriously need to brush up on your equality and diversity training. Religion is a protected belief. Veganism/use of typewriters (wtf) aren't.

I totally agree OP. If you have a problem with contraception or abortion, don't be a pharmacist. Restricting access to medication simply shouldn't be allowed.

Funnily enough, their beliefs never seem to extend to restricting access to medication for men.

Perfectly cognisant of equality laws. But there are exceptions, and this should be one of them.

I think veganism is a protected belief, anyway.

But in any event, medical care before beliefs.

Any employer who sacked someone based on them exercising their rights due to protected characteristics would be facing a lawsuit and would lose far more money than the pittance they might lose out on for not supplying contraception. Sounds like you're the naive one.

Well what exactly are WOMEN meant to do then, if the one and only pharmacist for 12-15 miles won't dispense the MAP?! Order it from the internet and wait 4 days?! I despair for humanity!

Use other forms of contraception? Get a bus? Get a taxi? Take some personal responsibility basically. I know there will be women in awful abusive situations who have no other options, but that's not the pharmacist's fault or responsibility I'm afraid.

Exactly this! To hell with the rights and health and welfare of WOMEN eh? As long as people have their religion protected!

Come off it, this can't be right. Something needs to change.

Speechless. I am literally speechless. Do you not care - even SLIGHTLY - about the rights and health of women? Not even a TINY bit?!

Is it 4 days? Asda, Lloyds and many more offer Next Day Delivery.

You are not allowed because the policy covers the provision of specified services, not anything about the patient.

There is no reason to question their pharmacy knowledge as the exemption covers both contraception and termination services