"Pro-life Pharmacies": A New Way to Deny Women Basic Health Care

by Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center

Just when we thought we’d seen it all in the area of pharmacists who refuse to give women birth control, along come “pro-life pharmacies.” 

A Washington Post story documents a new effort by pharmacists opposed to contraception -- they are creating pharmacies that don’t stock or sell it. At all. No condoms, birth control pills, or emergency contraception. As NWLC’s Co-President Marcia Greenberger said in the article,

"I’m very, very troubled by this. Contraception is essential for women’s health. A pharmacy like this is walling off an essential part of health care. That could endanger women’s health."

According to a poll by the Washington Post, these “pro-life” pharmacies aren’t even letting people know that they won’t sell contraception. As Marcia also said in the article,

"Rape victims could end up in a pharmacy not understanding this pharmacy will not meet their needs. We’ve seen an alarming development of pharmacists over the last several years refusing to fill prescriptions, and sometimes even taking the prescription from the woman and refusing to give it back to her so she can fill it at another pharmacy."

Even if a pharmacist doesn’t actively obstruct the woman, some might just leave her to fend for herself. As one owner of a “pro-life pharmacy” said,

"If I don’t believe something is right, the last thing I want to do is refer to someone else. It’s up to that person to be able to find it."

That can’t be the professional standard taught in pharmacy school.

We’ll continue our work to stop refusals in the pharmacy and encourage our readers to do what they can: ask your pharmacy whether it will provide birth control to women without discrimination or delay, approach your state pharmacy board to protect patient access, and thank those pharmacists -- the majority, luckily -- who are working every day to help patients get the health care they need.

ETA: One more thing. My co-worker Julia Kaye just raised an interesting point I wanted to share:

"Perhaps we should suppress our instinct to comment on the actions of groups or individuals -- like these 'Pro-Life pharmacy' owners or members of the 'Pill Kills' campaign -- that are so wildly out-of-touch with the opinions of the American public as to be, frankly, irrelevant. When we reference them in blog posts (to vent, to bemoan, to share a good laugh), we may inadvertently lend credence to the fringe work of fringe groups who are likely thrilled to receive enough publicity as to almost seem as though they represent the values of a sizable minority of the population. They don’t. Americans overwhelmingly support women’s right to access contraceptives at an affordable price, without government interference or intrusion, and without experiencing discrimination or delay at the pharmacy. Though we are right to be troubled by any phenomenon that undermines women’s access to critical and fundamental forms of health care, like contraception, let’s also expose these groups for what they are: unpleasant anomalies."

Comments

[Pharmacy School Applicant Database]

A Pharmacist should dispense regardless of his or her personal beliefs.

[compounding pharmacy]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

[Gretchen]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. I completely agree that going after birth control is part of a larger agenda to control sexuality. For those of you who haven't seen it, I highly recommend the NY Times magazine article Contra Contraception, which came out 2 years ago - it offers an in-depth analysis of that point.

[Barry]

"Why is birth control such a rallying cry right now? Most women and men use it at some point in their lives - like more than 90%, right? Don't these people know this? Is it really their belief that they have to deny birth control to other people whose religious and personal don't preclude them from using it?"

Because right-wing politics are always concerned with regulating sexuality, and particularly womens' sexuality. Denying access to contraception helps this.

[Jesmi]

The ProWoman ProLife blog notes how some pro-choice opposition to the Canadian version of the Unborn Victims of Violence legislation has nothing to do with the substance of the bill.

[Hilary]

Sorry - the above should say "whose religious and personal BELIEFS don't preclude them"

[Hilary]

Why is birth control such a rallying cry right now? Most women and men use it at some point in their lives - like more than 90%, right? Don't these people know this? Is it really their belief that they have to deny birth control to other people whose religious and personal don't preclude them from using it?

And many women use birth control for reasons other than controlling their fertility. It can also be used for endometriosis and other hormonally related conditions. This is about wicked women's sexuality and their naughty parts, not about life.