Woman refused the morning-after pill because it was against the pharmacist's religion

[Honey]

A woman was refused the morning-after pill because it was against the pharmacist's religious beliefs.
Ruth Johnson, 30, was refused the emergency contraception by a locum pharmacist at a Tesco supermarket.
She asked an assistant at the chemist counter for the pill Levonelle, but was told it had to be dispensed by the locum himself.



Angry: Ruth Johnson was told she could not buy morning-after pill Levonelle because it was against the Tesco pharmacist's religion
Miss Johnson said: 'He told me that he would not be 'allowing' me to buy the pill from him because he had a right to refuse to sell it on the basis of his personal beliefs.
'The pharmacist was of Asian origin, so I asked him if it was because of his religion and he replied "yes".'
Miss Johnson, of Simons Place, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, complained to the manager of the Hewitt's Circus branch.
She said: 'I was told that it had nothing to do with them and that they couldn't force the pharmacist to sell it, despite him working in their store.
'I then asked if a Jewish or Muslim checkout operator could refuse to sell pork or alcohol, or if a Jehovah's witness could refuse to sell birthday and Christmas cards.'
A Tesco spokesman said the pharmacist advised Ms Johnson on other places to purchase the pill, but was acting within his rights to refuse to dispense it himself.
He said: 'We do apologise to Miss Johnson for the inconvenience caused.
'However, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's code of ethics allows pharmacists the right to refuse.'
Ms Johnson, who thought the supermarket service would be more discreet than a local chemist, said she feared for any teenage girls who might be turned away from seeking the morning-after pill.
She added: 'I appreciate we live in a multicultural society, but what gives him the right to impose his beliefs onto me?'
A spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) said: 'The Code of Ethics and Standards does not require a pharmacist to provide a service that is contrary to their religious or moral beliefs.'
But he added: 'Any attempt by a pharmacist to impose their beliefs on a member of the public seeking their professional guidance - or a failure to have systems in place to advise of alternative sources for the service required - would be of great concern to the RPSGB and could form the basis of a complaint of professional misconduct.'

'I can't give you the morning-after pill - it's against my religion', Asian pharmacist tells woman | Mail Online

[McJag]

HE wasn't taking the pill and had no right to set himself up as judge to others.

[Grimmlok]

Fire him immediately and revoke his pharmacists license.

He has no right to refuse doctor mandated treatment for a patient. Fucking asshole. I hate these rejects. I don't give a flying fuck what sky fairy garbage you run your life by..you have no right to apply YOUR silly beliefs on anybody but yourself. If you can't handle that, fuck you. Go work somewhere else.

Your religious bullshit has no right to interfere with anybody getting whatever treatment has been ordered by a doctor, be it the morning after pill, insulin, HIV medication, heart pills, or fucking tylenol for a headache.

YOU ARE NOT A FUCKING DOCTOR. FILL THE PRESCRIPTION, PILLMONKEY.

[msdeb]

^^^what Grimm said.

[Mariesoleil]

^^ Ditto.

[NicoleWasHere]

If the woman wants to take the pill, that's her business and no one elses. Fuck the pharmacist's beliefs, just fill up the damn bottle.

[A*O]

That happened at a local pharmacy here. The pharmacist was a fundie Krazy Kristian who doesn't believe in ANY form of birth control. Of course there was a big fuss about it but I don't know what happened to him. I'll try and find out.

[cupcake]

I wonder if he would give her a prescription if she had a STD from unprotected sex..Where do you draw the line on your beliefs... I feel bad for her... Now she is all over the news on something that she probly would have liked to have been kept a private matter...

[Grimmlok]

i doubt she has a problem with it, she's practically shoving her twat meds into the camera lens

[Rica]

Does he refuse to sell condoms too?

[tee-ha-ha]

At least this one wasn't in the US.

[yanna]

I'd give her any form of birth control if it would save some innocent kid from inheriting this mug.

All kidding aside, I'm glad she spoke out and I can't believe that this fundie crap is happening in Europe too now. The shithead should be fired, pronto.

[tee-ha-ha]

I'd give her any form of birth control if it would save some innocent kid from inheriting this mug.

All kidding aside, I'm glad she spoke out and I can't believe that this fundie crap is happening in Europe too now. The shithead should be fired, pronto.

What do you mean, Europe "too now"? Do you think it wasn't happening before? European history in large part has been guided by precisely that kind of fundie crap.

[twitchy2.0]

recent history?

[yanna]

tee ha ha, that's the first I hear of someone being denied drugs in Europe due to the pharmacist's religious beliefs. That's all I meant by that comment. I think it's disgusting and it shouldn't be happening in any civilised place.