When Your Doctor Says He/She Doesnt Rx Morning After PIll, Report Him/Her.

[McCamy Taylor]

I read this horror story in my local paper.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/14893854.htm

It was reprinted from the WaPo.

To summarize, a 40 plus married woman forgot to use her barrier method one night, realized she might have been ovulating, called her internest and OB-Gyn, was told that neither doctor prescribed morning after contraception, 2 weeks later ended up pregnant and had to get an abortion.

Her story is tragic. It should not have happened, since the FDA's own findings recommended that the morning after pill go OTC and it was kept prescription only so that W. could curry favor with Right to Life--ironically increasing the number of abortions obtained this country (no logic there).

As a retired family physician, I am going to suggest something else that the anonymous author Dana L. and other women who find themselves in her position ought to consider doing. She should file a complaint with her state medical board complaining that both her internest and her OB-Gyn violated the standards of medical care when they issued a blanket refusal to prescribe FDA approved morning after contraception to a regular patient who has medical indications to use it. Both doctors violated the standards of care and should be sanctioned by their medical boards and receive education about proper medical treatment of women in that situation. If they felt compelled by reasons of religion or politics not to prescribe that medication, then they violated their hypocratic oaths by not ensuring that she received the necesary treatment elsewhere.

If you suffer any significant medical or monetary damage as a result of an unitended pregnany from this refusal, particularly if you end up carrying to term a child with severe defects, I would advise consulting a malpractice attorney. However, a lawsuit seldom accomplishes anything in most cases of physician incompetence since the results are delayed by years and often the doctor gets off and the final results may be sealed. Justice is much more easily, quickly and efficiently served by making a complaint to the medical board that regulates doctors in your state. And the consequences are often much worse for doctors than a malpractice settlement, and can include loss of license so they take these complaints much more seriously.

[Warpy]

1. That's right. Take the asshole to small claims court and sue

for the cost of the abortion plus pain and suffering.

Report them to the licensing board.

Call the media. Write a letter to the paper. Scream bloody murder, because that's what these sanctimonious assholes are threatening us with when they deny a legal prescription that could save us surgical risk or the even higher risk of carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term.

Hell, get some friends together and PICKET.

Tell these sons of bitches we are not going to stand for their religious baggage getting in the way of our health and safety.

[rodeodance]

2. its becoming an epidemic--others thinking they know what is best for YOU>

[spindrifter]

3. Check which body governs

the practice of pharmacists in your state. You may want to file a complaint directly with that body. For example, In Washington the pharmacy board is under the state department of health.

[Sgent]

4. Self Delete

[varkam]

5. The irony kills me...

They don't want people to have abortions...so they don't give the morning-after pill...so people wind up getting more abortions.

Oy.