Need Help With Plan B "Redistribution" Please

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Kroger responds to denied 'morning after' pill request
POSTED: 7:42 p.m. EST, March 9, 2007
Story Highlights
• Woman claims Kroger store denied her the "morning after" pill
• Kroger Co. is responding by reiterating its drug policies
• Grocery chain: Objecting pharmacists must find another way to fill prescription

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Kroger Co. said Friday it was reiterating its drug policies to all of its pharmacists after a Georgia woman claimed she was denied the "morning after" pill at one of the company's stores.

The Cincinnati-based grocery chain said if its pharmacists object to fulfilling a request, the store must "make accommodations to have that prescription filled for our customer."

"We believe that medication is a private patient matter," said Meghan Glynn, a Kroger spokeswoman. "Our role as a pharmacy operator is to furnish medication in accordance with the doctor's prescription or as requested by a patient."

Abortion rights activists in Georgia announced a statewide campaign Friday to raise awareness about the contraceptive.

Among them was Carrie Baker, who said a Kroger pharmacist in her hometown of Rome, Georgia, refused to supply her with the contraceptive. The 42-year-old married mother of two said she asked the store's manager in December to order the contraceptive but was told that the pharmacist refused, even though the decision contradicted company policy.

"I believe this was a responsible decision and the best way to care for my family and myself," she said. "But Kroger doesn't care."

Sold as Plan B, emergency contraception is a high dose of the drug found in many regular birth-control pills. It can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

Girls 17 and younger still need a prescription to buy the drug, which the FDA made available over-the-counter to adults in August.

Supporters of the drug say widespread availability will cut down on unwanted pregnancies and abortions.

Critics argue it encourages promiscuity and unprotected sex and some consider it related to abortion, although it is different from the abortion pill RU-486.

Major pharmacy chains such as CVS Corp., Rite-Aid Corp. and Walgreen Co. also have pledged to ensure that customers can buy Plan B, even if one employee declines to provide service for reasons of conscience.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.

I've never been to one of these stores (Major pharmacy chains such as CVS Corp., Rite-Aid Corp. and Walgreen Co. Kroger, Publix, etc...) where they have more than one pharmacist on duty, so are they going to let the cashier fill it?
This makes no sense to me. They are saying nothing.
What ACTION are they taking?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sure, let the cashier fill the request. It's an over the counter, prepackaged drug isn't it. They don't put it out to keep minors from getting it without a prescription.
Just put it behind the cashiers counter like Playboys.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

I've never been to one of these stores (Major pharmacy chains such as CVS Corp., Rite-Aid Corp. and Walgreen Co. Kroger, Publix, etc...) where they have more than one pharmacist on duty, so are they going to let the cashier fill it?
This makes no sense to me. They are saying nothing.
What ACTION are they taking?

I assume the action they are taking is to make sure that all their stores are aware of the policy - the store in question did not act according to company policy but it may have claimed ignorance.

And yes, it certainly could (should) be rung through a normal till in situations where the pharmacist doesn't want to process the sale. When I worked the twilight shift at a 24 hour supermarket the pharmacy was locked at 21.00. If a customer requested an OTC drug that was locked away (high value items usually) the duty manager had to come and open up. It used to fill me with evil glee, because you could see them seething about the time away from their own work - something that we had to deal with from customers all the time - wanting to be shown items on the other side of a large store when we had targets to meet in our own section.

I think they should just tell them if they don't fill it they will be fired. It is not their place to question a prescription.

[Aliantha]

It might be against their fundamental belief system, in which case, I think they should resign in protest.

[JayMcGee]

You've almost certainley hit the nail on the head, ali......


but why resign when, with the right angle, you can sue either the company for forcing you to act contrary to your belief system, or the the patient for putting you under undue stress by having to make a decision.......

Your job is not to preach or worship, it is to dispense medicine, your job has nothing to do with your religion, do it or go home.
I'm an atheist, I don't work in a church, you don't see a lot of Christian Scientist phlebotomists(sp?) do you?

[Aliantha]

I'm a catholic. I'm supposed to believe I'm going to hell for my transgressions. I don't go to confession. I guess I'm not really a catholic or I'd feel differently.

I think Jay is right on this one. Why resign when you can force the company to sack you for sticking to your guns. Then you can sue them for discrimination.

I wonder who would win.

[Sundae]

It just seems to me that things are easier all round if the company's official guidelines are followed. The only problems come when they aren't, and that's the Store Manager's fault more than the pharmacist's imo.

I don't see why people should be prevented from entering a profession because of their religion if the thing they object to is not a major part of the role they intend to take. GPs save a lot of people's lives - I'm willing to accept they might need to refer a patient requesting a termination rather than sign it off. As long as they don't work in an abortion clinic and procedures are in place so the patient doesn't suffer undue stress.

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I'm a catholic. I'm supposed to believe I'm going to hell for my transgressions. I don't go to confession. I guess I'm not really a catholic or I'd feel differently.

I think Jay is right on this one. Why resign when you can force the company to sack you for sticking to your guns. Then you can sue them for discrimination.

I wonder who would win.

It is not discrimination to fire someone for not doing their job.

Per the previous post, I don't think anyone should be prevented from entering the profession, as long as they do their job.
My brother in law is a free-will baptists, he works at a distillery... he does his job, good man, smart man.

[Aliantha]

I realize that if someone doesn't do their job you can fire them, but I'm pretty sure a lawyer could make an argument for why the employee couldn't do that part of their job and why they've been discriminated against because of their religion.

Religion is not an issue in your job, that is your personal life, not part of your job.

[jinx]

Isn't requiring everyone with the same job description to perform all the same required duties the opposite of discrimination?

[Aliantha]

Let me clarify. I'm not saying I think it's right. I'm saying that this is the argument I think they would use.

Personally I don't think you should take on a job that conflicts with your own sense of values.

Why not separate them?
There is not going to be a perfect job that is rewarding where you are in that kind of bubble that I can think of.