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Pharmacists sue in federal court after new law forces them to dispense Plan B
CatholicNewsAgency ^ | Jul 27, 2007 | CNA

Posted on 07/28/2007 5:40:06 PM PDT by monomaniac

Seattle, Jul 27, 2007 / 08:47 am (CNA).- Pharmacists have sued Washington state over a new regulation that requires them to sell emergency contraception, also known as the "morning-after pill,” because it contains no exception for those who object on the basis of belief or conscience.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court Wednesday, pharmacists Rhonda Mesler and Margo Thelen, and Stormans Inc., said the rule that took effect Thursday violates their civil rights by forcing them into choosing between "their livelihoods and their deeply held religious and moral beliefs."

"The stakes really couldn't be much higher," plaintiffs' attorney Kristen Waggoner said. Earlier this year, the state ruled that druggists who believe emergency contraceptives are tantamount to abortion cannot stand in the way of a patient's “right” to the drugs.

State legislators do not seem to notice that the new law ensures the “rights” of those who wish to use the contraceptives but does nothing to support the rights of those who believe it is immoral.

In a statement about the then proposed law, the Catholic Bishops of Washington state said, “The Church opposes the sale of any drug that would induce an abortion, and supports pharmacists, especially those who follow Catholic moral teaching, who uphold their right to act according to the dictates of their conscience when asked to dispense such drugs.”

Plan B is often called “emergency contraception”, but in fact, it can cause an abortion because if it fails to stop ovulation it then acts to prevent any embryos from implanting in the uterus.

Darlene Wilson, a licensed pharmacist is one such person who objects to the law. "For me, that would be killing a human life and I don't want to have any part of that," she said.

Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, who brokered a compromise on the contraceptive rule and pressured the state Board of Pharmacy to adopt it, stood behind the regulation on Thursday.

"Gov. Gregoire feels the Pharmacy Board went through an extensive public process to come to their decision, and she supports them," spokesman Lars Erickson said.

Under the new state rule, pharmacists with personal objections to a drug can opt out by getting a co-worker to fill an order. But that applies only if the patient is able to get the prescription in the same pharmacy visit.

The federal Food and Drug Administration made the morning-after pill available without prescription to adults last year.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: abortion; conscienceclause; freedomofconscience; lawsuit; pharmacy; planb; prolife
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1 posted on 07/28/2007 5:40:07 PM PDT by monomaniac
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To: monomaniac

Well there are a good numbers of Freepers who think they should be required to disperse abortion pills.


2 posted on 07/28/2007 5:41:58 PM PDT by Always Right
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To: monomaniac

Maybe they could just check their voter registration and dispense on that basis. /sarc/

If we don’t want plan B then lets get out and make it illegal. Does anyone have a congressional representative that is trying to accomplish that? Using the courts, seems something like the Dims would do.


3 posted on 07/28/2007 5:44:00 PM PDT by Steamburg (Your wallet speaks the only language most politicians understand.)
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To: monomaniac

It appears that the solution in Washington, since it requires no prescription, is to put it out on the shelves instead of behind the counter. Do they really want that?


4 posted on 07/28/2007 5:47:26 PM PDT by Ingtar (The LDS problem that Romney is facing is not his religion, but his Lacking Decisive Stands.)
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To: Steamburg

Oddly, I am still curious why the FDA which is under Bush did this????


5 posted on 07/28/2007 5:51:33 PM PDT by Always Right
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To: monomaniac

And the next step will be to require doctors to perform abortions. This will be done by making abortion a mandatory part of physician training.


6 posted on 07/28/2007 5:52:53 PM PDT by sphinx
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To: monomaniac

what’s plan A?


7 posted on 07/28/2007 5:53:00 PM PDT by tired1 (responsibility without authority is slavery!)
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To: Always Right

If a boyfriend bought them and then gave them to his girlfriend without her knowledge, would that too, be okay?


8 posted on 07/28/2007 5:55:32 PM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: Old Professer

I never said it was OK under any circumstance.


9 posted on 07/28/2007 5:57:38 PM PDT by Always Right
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To: tired1
what’s plan A?

Plan A - Contraceptives
Plan B - Morning After Pill
Plan C - Abortion
Plan D - Partial Birth Abortion
.
.
.
Plan Z - Daycare

10 posted on 07/28/2007 6:02:20 PM PDT by Always Right
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To: monomaniac
If they were islamites under pressure to sell beer and pork skins, a federal judge would jump on their case to protect their rights of conscientious objection in a heartbeat.
11 posted on 07/28/2007 6:03:08 PM PDT by azhenfud (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: azhenfud

If they were islamites under pressure to sell beer and pork skins, a federal judge would jump on their case to protect their rights of conscientious objection in a heartbeat.

Don’t worry, the ONLY (and I stress ONLY) good thing about the muzzies is that they are morally conservative, so when Sharia becomes a fact the life as is the apparent desire of the democrats, the left and CAIR, this won’t be an issue.


12 posted on 07/28/2007 6:19:33 PM PDT by generalhammond
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To: monomaniac

Isn’t the only source of the morning after pill China? I have read postings re bad side effects, i. e. woman death.


13 posted on 07/28/2007 6:33:24 PM PDT by dr huer
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To: tired1

If you don’t understand and practice plan A then you need plan B


14 posted on 07/28/2007 6:43:34 PM PDT by Steamburg (Your wallet speaks the only language most politicians understand.)
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To: monomaniac

Charge $47,000 per pill.


15 posted on 07/28/2007 6:47:34 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: monomaniac
Plan B is often called “emergency contraception”, but in fact, it can cause an abortion because if it fails to stop ovulation it then acts to prevent any embryos from implanting in the uterus

As due the classic birth control pills. That is why they are so very effective if used as prescribed. They too will prevent implantation. If Plan B should not be sold then birth control pills should also be banned. I am not in favor of banning birth control pills!

16 posted on 07/28/2007 6:54:58 PM PDT by cpdiii (Pharmacist, Pilot, Geologist, Oil Field Trash and proud of it.)
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To: Always Right

Well “Always Right”....this time you are very wrong! Speak for your self only........you sound like a demon-rat!


17 posted on 07/28/2007 7:08:51 PM PDT by Doctor Don
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To: azhenfud
"If they were islamites under pressure to sell beer and pork skins, a federal judge would jump on their case to protect their rights of conscientious objection in a heartbeat"

Yep, and there would be a lot of freepers who would say "well, he DID open a convenience store, therefore he knew what he was getting into."

18 posted on 07/28/2007 7:09:17 PM PDT by boop (Trunk Monkey. Is there anything he can't do?)
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To: monomaniac

I don’t see why a pharmacist would have an issue selling this pill if at the same time have no issue selling birth control pills. It’s my understanding that this “plan B” pill is simply the same thing as taking 4 certain birth control pills at the same time. It just comes in the form of a single pill, has a different name, and costs more money.


19 posted on 07/28/2007 7:12:14 PM PDT by KoRn (Just Say NO ....To Liberal Republicans - FRED THOMPSON FOR PRESIDENT!)
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To: Doctor Don
Well “Always Right”....this time you are very wrong! Speak for your self only........you sound like a demon-rat!

WTH....Where did I say that was my position? I have debated dozens of Freepers who have taken that position in the past.

20 posted on 07/28/2007 7:17:03 PM PDT by Always Right
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