Boxer eyes prescription protection -Bill would secure birth control rights

[Kadie]

Boxer eyes prescription protection
Bill would secure birth control rights
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Washington -- Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, citing reports that pharmacists have turned away women seeking birth control pills, has introduced legislation that she says would protect American women's access to contraception.

Boxer's proposal would require all pharmacies to fill all prescriptions or refer customers to someone who will, despite pharmacists' religious or ethical objections to the nature of the prescription.

The legislation, similar to a proposal in California that two state Senate committees will consider next week, came in response to reports from a dozen states that women have been turned away by pharmacists who wouldn't fill doctors' prescriptions for birth control pills or for "morning-after pills,'' which are known as emergency contraceptives. In some cases, women say they were also lectured by pharmacists.

California is one of four states considering laws requiring that all prescriptions be filled. Four states permit pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions that violate their personal beliefs, and 22 other states are considering similar laws.

more...
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/19/MNGO4CB6UJ1.DTL

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Good! I say screw their "moral objections".

I'd love to see one of these self-righteous fucks deny Viagra to someone who doesn't affirm they are married. Then you'll see men start to take this issue seriously.

[renaissanceguy]

2. While everyone turned their heads on gay rights,

they didn't realize that gay rights are human rights are women's rights are everyone's rights. You deny the rights of one group of people, you will eventually deny the rights of other groups.

It was never about "the sanctity of marriage." It is about control, fear, and hatred. The right wing wants to control our personal decisions and relationships.

I'm afraid it will be too late before people realize that is really happening.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744291

[xxqqqzme]

3. my RW mother & sisters have

never quite grasp the concept of civil rights violations. It feels, 2 me, as if I have spent my entire adult life explaining denial of rights for one group extends the denial 2 all. They do not 'get' the ACLU because of this very reason.

[booksenkatz]

4. Recommended, thanks to your post ((hug)) NT

[UCLA Dem]

5. Thats my senator!!

[JohnnyBoots]

6. If you don't stop it now it

will only escalate in to cops who only enforce the rules they want to,educators teaching only what they agree with, etc. if you don't nip it in the bud now it will only snowball. It may all ready be too late. Boxer really is a pitbull, she effing rocks!

[athenap]

7. Hey, I find it morally objectionable to do my job...

...I want paid for doing nothing and goofing off. It's my moral right!

Oh wait, you mean I have to *do my job* to do my job? Nobody told me that. I'm a victim, here. A victim, I tell ya!

I'd like to see a pharmacist try to lecture me.

It's all about punishing women for having sex. It's about controlling people's right to procreate (or not), because once you control that basic basic biological drive, you've got people right where you want 'em. It's a small step, gang, from forbidding birth control to forbidding birth. The government should get it's grubby paws out of both, and so should these hypocritical moralists.

[earthboundmisfit]

8. And ya gotta note the VERY easy slide from "anti-abortion"

to ANTI-CONTRACEPTION! Till very recently you didn't hear much anti-birth control noise (except in Catholicism), only anti-abortion when it came to "pro-life" issues. I wonder how & why it seems just in the last several months that "pro-life" ALSO means being against birth control?!?

[tblue37]

9. Good.

It will wake people up when it hits closer to home. The RW have been stealthy up to now, but with so much power they are forgetting to hide their agenda. Let Americans see who these people really are and what they really want to do.

[customerserviceguy]

10. There's a difference

between chemicals that prevent egg and sperm from uniting, and chemicals that deal with the unique being that is created after such union. You may believe that this is not a "baby", but some do believe just such a thing.

It starts getting really shaky when consciousness clauses are not inserted into medical care, or are legislated away. There's a difference between people who have simple predjudice, even if it's religiously motivated, and those who really feel like someone's asking them to do something they find fundamentally wrong.

[havocmom]

14. The pill has been around for 40 years. How many pharmacists started

prior to that? If they object to the pill, they can do some other line of work. Maybe they should work at day care centers? Pay sucks, but kids do need to be taken care of after birth too.

[BadNews]

20. If they object to the pill, why can't another pharmacist fill it?

Honestly, I would fire them for not being able to fulfill their job duties. How is this different than a Jewish person insisting they will not work on Saturday, or a Christian on Sunday. There are plenty of other places that will fill the order. In fact, there is probably another person in that store that will fill it. The legislation is not necessary.

[havocmom]

27. In many communities, there is only one place to fill a prescription

and only one person to do it. And in big cities, there are often limits on a person's choices of pharmacies. Some insurance insists clients use particular pharmacies and poor people without adequate transportation cannot easily go from place to place in search of somebody who will actually preform their job.

Also, there have been cases where the pharmacists not only refused to fill the Rx but also refused to return the written (and paid for when the patient went to the doctor) script back to the client. To my thinking, those pharmacists are not standing up for their beliefs, but rather denying legal medical choices/treatments to the patient.
Oh, and they are also stealing that patient's property.

No, there needs to be a uniform code for these licensed professionals to abide by so the consumers can trust they will do their job!

[raccoon]

30. all these judgmental pharmacists

should be FIRED. Why in Hades did they go into pharmacy in the first place?

[ninkasi]

22. For all their holier-than-thou

posturing, these people care nothing...nada, zilch, about babies who have been born. If they did, they would take their moral crusades into areas of poverty and hopelessness, and try to lift up some of the lives they care about before birth.

They don't, though, do they? No, they just preach about how immoral it is to prevent conception, to end a pregnancy, to teach safe sex practices...it's about puffing themselves up, and trying to dictate to the rest of us how to lead our lives.

If as many people who claim to be pro-life really were, it would mean an end to poverty, unemployment, and a great deal of misery. It would mean helping out fellow beings in times of need, and stopping wars to settle disputes, and so many things that don't appeal to them. It helps to realize that for every issue like this, to the fundies, it's not about the right to choose, or the right to control births, it's about THEM, and how holy and good and superior they are. They disgust me.

[raccoon]

29. as you said about the fundies,

"it's about THEM, and how holy and good and superior they are"

People like them give religion and other religious people a bad name.

Great post.

[arikara]

21. If they have moral objections to doing their job

then they should find a new career. Their job is to dispense prescriptions not to make judgements.

[Scairp]

12. That has always been their true agenda

Actually, the goal is to make it as risky to have sex outside of marriage as before the invention of oral contraceptives. Curtailing sexuality is the ultimate objective of these anti-women groups.

[Occulus]

16. they know people will screw

always have, always will, no matter what. We're hardwired for it, and there's just not very much that can be done about that fact. People who see sex as a dirty act, or sexual expression as immoral, or in some way try to moralize sexual issues in general wish for the creation of a child- who one must, by necessity, care for or give up for adoption- to be punishment for having sex if a child is not intended.

They feel that way because, to them, sex is "intended" only for procreation.

[bunkerbuster1]

11. Be prepared for this Wingnut meme:

emphasis mine:

"The pro-abortion movement has seized up this as their new issue, basically because their goal is to eliminate any dissent on the question of abortion or even the question of someone's right not to participate in a practice related to abortion,'' Mattox added."

These fucking nutters think that a fertilized egg is a BABY. They think a fertilized egg has a soul, and must be saved.

[AzDar]

13. How ironic...It's beginning to appear that Boxer is the only senator with

balls!!

[EC]

15. I am becoming convinced that the fundie

churchs have told their pharmacist members to start doing this... :dilemma: what do I mean becoming convinced? I'm definitely sure of it...:dilemma:

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

18. Would be nice to include provision that insurance carriers must

cover birth control prescriptions. While I'm glad and grateful to have healthcare, my Anthem plan does not cover birth control pills unless it's prescribed for something other than for the prevention of pregnancy. Sounds like some fundie bullshit to me. Isn't it cheaper to cover birth control pills to prevent pregnancy than the cost for well-baby care, etc?

I'm curious as to whether Anthem covers Viagra!?

[rebecca_herman]

19. my insurance is even weirder

My birth control pills (taken only for a medical reason) are covered. If there is no medical reason, they are not covered. However, elective abortions is covered!! Strange.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. I wonder what WalMart

will have to say about this. hmmm

[GetTheRightVote]

23. It is nice to see Sen. Boxer still fighting for our rights, if the Phars.

do not wish to do their jobs they should find a new career.
They know when training for this career this includes filling all prescriptions from a Doctor so if they continue with their career choice they are accepting this function of their jobs as well. They take away an individual's right to health care when they refuse to fill a prescription and this can not be allowed.

:kick:

[BadNews]

24. Boycot and go to another pharmacy. Money Talks. NT/

[DanCa]

25. About Time

We dont need red and blue pharmacies any more than we need red and blue churches. Makes one wonder whats next red and blue drinking fountains?

[DanCa]

26. About Time

We dont need red and blue pharmacies any more than we need red and blue churches. Makes one wonder whats next red and blue drinking fountains?

[Orsino]

28. Refusing to fill a prescription *is* a prescription!

Since when do pharmacists practice medicine?

[Jawja]

31. For my 1000th Post, I will say this:

Any pharmacist who will not fill a LEGAL prescription for LEGAL medication for ANYONE should have their licensed revoked! No pandering to the religious nuts by passing laws that give them the right to refuse medical/drug treatment of any kind! If they have objections based on their version of "moral grounds," they should choose another profession.

If they are allowed special protection for their "moral values," then the door is opened for other issues such as who doctors will and will not treat.

Under a "conscience clause," a medical professional could refuse treatment and/or medicine to AIDS patients, unwed mothers, and other people they determine in their eyes to be "sinners."

This is needs to be fought and fought HARD. We cannot allow them to chip away at the LEGAL rights of citizens based on their personal religion.