Kaindly respekt mai perrsonal beleefs
A pharmacist working for LloydsPharmacy refused to give a woman the morning after pill, because it went against her “personal beliefs”.
The customer, named only as Siani, 41, had paid £30 for the emergency contraception online before going to collect it from the Brighton branch of Lloyds, located inside a Sainsbury’s.
She reportedly called the pharmacy from her car to check that it was ready, and was told by the on-duty female pharmacist that she would not dispense the pill as it went against her “personal beliefs.”
Siani was told to come back the next day, or travel to the next nearest branch – 10 miles away. As it was a Sunday, most other local chemists were closed.
Come back next day for a morning after pill. Let’s see if we can spot the problem here.
“I’m old and stroppy enough to make a fuss, but what if I was a teenager?” Siani, who has a son, told Metro.
“I don’t think it’s remotely acceptable that Lloyds Pharmacy created a situation where they discriminate against women by having the only branch in the city that is open on a Sunday staffed by a lone pharmacist who will not dispense women’s services. And I don’t think it’s acceptable that they will sell a service that their staff refuse to deliver after accepting payment.”
It’s not. If the pharmacist doesn’t want to dispense a particular medication, that pharmacist should go into a different line of work.
“I’m a mum in my 40s, I have very little shame left, but there will be girls having the same experience who have nothing like the resources I do. You expect that sort of nonsense in America, but not here,” Siani added.
It’s no better here! We don’t accept it! We know it happens, but we don’t accept it!
At least here in the US I have never heard of someone refusing to dispense a medicine once it has been paid for. They usually don’t let you get that far.
But on the same note, they usually don’t refer you to another pharmacist, either, and they often hold onto the prescription so you can’t go to another pharmacist. (I don’t know if there was a prescription involved in this case).
I have argued with libertarians on this point, who say that anybody should have the right to refuse to perform a service that goes against their beliefs. My opinion is if they don’t want to perform that service, they shouldn’t be a pharmacist. Also, the particular case we were arguing about was Eckerd’s, where the pharmacist in question was working for someone else, and that someone else, the company, had a policy of filling the prescriptions. Aren’t libertarians supposed to think that business owners can determine the rules of their business? Which means their employees should follow their policies, or become ex-employees.
“I have argued with libertarians”
Well, there’s your mistake right there. Surely you have better, more productive things to do like banging your head against a wall.
Yes, a lesson I learned the hard way.