Pharmacist refused to fill prescription for moral reasons

Assuming that the pharmicist was a man, the old man should have replied" I need it because your wife has such an active libido."

 

No problems.

Really wasn't taking offense at you.

Those are the words that get my attention.

I understand the issues, this is not a D&D topic for me, I/m just letting my tired mind get the best of me.

I don't know what religious fundamentalism is anyway.

I have pastored churches for about 23 yrs and I can't remember using the words myself. But I do admit to talking about my faith in public if that is the definition.

Let me tell you how I would have tried to handle the situation in the pharmacy.

If a woman came to me and I was the pharmacist on duty.

1. First I would have already gone to the store manager or pharmacy management and expressed my convictions about the drugs I could not dispense. I would ask my supervisor how I should they would like for me to handle that and I would offer my resignation before I embarassed the management or violated company policy.
2. Second I would have made my supervisor aware of the situation asap if they were available in the store.
3. I would do whatever the store management requested as long as I didn't have to violate my personal conviction.
4. I would have spoken to the woman making the request with dignity and kindness in fullfilling the wishes of the company.
5. If I had no one else there to ask and I had to make a decision. I would kindly appologize to the woman and let her know I had personal convictions that Walgreens knew about and I would have to decline to fill the prescription. I think it would be best to talk where others could not hear.

I think personal convictions are very good if they are not used to batter other people.

 

I do interviews (many) and terminations (few- thank God)

No. I don't ask those questions.

It is usually questions about skills, attitudes, goals, experience, education etc.

 

You're right but that would still apply. For intstance I find Shaq to be morally offensive as a Rockets fan but if I worked at a sporting good store I would still have to sell Shaq merchandise. Semi-

 

That's a good question I wish more people would ask.

A drug is not moral it is what we call amoral- drugs dont't make right and wrong choices, people do.
A gun is not moral nor a knife.

Moral - means right human behavior-

It is the choices that are made with guns that determine moral behavior.

A gun does not murder anyone. People murder.

Chemicals mixed into a pill do not kill anyone. People who buy them and use them, whether they are barbituates or any other potentially dangerous or life threatening drug determine moral behavior.

When someone says they have morals they should be referring to human choices.

 

I guess to be more specific, there are alot of drugs that could be abused in a pharmacy.

Knowing that one of them has the specific use to abort a baby would put a heavy moral responsibility on a pro-life pharmacist.

Would I work where those drugs are sold?
Would I work there but refuse to fill those prescriptions?
Would I work there fill those prescriptions anyway?

Those are all moral choices.

 

Hey Hester;

I've been enjoying your posts!

I guess it may come down to whether you can reconcile your feelings about such drugs with your sense of 'right.'

Part of living in a democracy means you don't always get your way. So.....if it truly irks you, you can choose not to work at a pharmacy. But perhaps you like working at the pharmacy. Or you like all the other good that pharmacist do. We're not talking about somebody working in a family planning clinic, here.

Perhaps you can accept that the drugs are dispensed but choose not to participate in their distribution personally. The company did, afterall, develop policy to address such situations (and this is where the pharmacist in our story messed up!).

Or thirdly, you can accept that although you disagree with the drugs, it's not your position to forbid them to someone else. A position of not judging others, perhaps.

I tend to agree with NJ Rocket and others that giving a pharmacist discretion in refusing a prescription for other than medical reasons does seem to give far too much power to the pharmacist in a 'one horse' town. The ability to effectively veto a doctor. But as long as other options are available (ie..other pharmacists in town, or in the same store) I'm not so sure i can criticize a company for accomodating an employees belief systems.

 

DELETED

Sorry, I misread the thread title. I thought it said Parmacist refused to fill prescription for oral reasons.

 

All I meant was that when your own behavior, decesions, actions result in right or wrong (moral) decisions you have to choose to do the right thing or the wrong thing. Even if it is all in your head.

Moral means it is right or wrong.

This lady thought it was wrong to fill the prescription.

I already said what I would have done.

I think if the lady pharmacist was just waiting to pounce on a customer who wanted the drug she was opposed to, then the pharmacist was in the wrong. Especially if she used that situation to berate the customer. That is mean and spiteful. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior. If the testimony of the attorney is true then that pharmacist was in the wrong.

For the record-

I don't refuse prostitutes from coming into our church. I welcome them to come in. My morals tell me to not engage in prostitution, but also to show them respect and grace and understand the story behind the person.

I never try to look down my nose at others. I always try to see people as valuable and worthy of respect and dignity.

Before I was a pastor I was a gutter alcoholic, drug dealer who spent time in and out of jail. How could I look down on someone else when God has shown me such mercy?

 

This has nothing to do with this thread, but I certainly salute you and respect you for being able to change your life. Going from gutter alcoholic to pastor is admirable to say the least.

 

Good to hear from you AggieRocket,

I can't take any credit.

I only said that because berating others on the basis of ones own convictions is not loving and kind. (reference the story)

Not everybody who becomes a Christian does so because of life controlling problems, some do.

I did. Jesus Christ literally pulled me out of obsessive behaviors that I could not overcome by myself. I never went to AA (that may be good I don't know much about it) I had a spiritual encounter that changed my life. The freedom I recieved from drugs and alcohol was secondary.

My wife could tell you more about my life. She lived with hell for the first 5 years of our marriage. I thank God every day for giving me so much I don't deserve.

I will leave all this so the thread can get back on track.

 

Actually I don't want to rebuff your beliefs.

I probably shouldn't have said what I did about my past, I don't want to 'promote- what a good person I am'.

I only said it because I am grateful

I don't consider myself a good apple at all

I let God down often, He is like a Father to me who loves me enough to correct me, encourage me and help me.

wnes- I don't know if you are biased or wrong, I am not sure that you can know for certain if you are wrong about this pharmacist unless you are certain you have all the facts. I don't know if you could know if you are biased because everyone is biased by their own belief systems.

One minister once told me the will of God is what you would choose if you really knew ALL the facts.

 

I already addressed all that-

"Would I work where those drugs are sold?
Would I work there but refuse to fill those prescriptions?
Would I work there fill those prescriptions anyway?"

I assume she felt it was morally right to work there as long as she could refuse to fill certain perscriptions- I am not saying that is right or wrong, I am saying those where her morals.

I cannot judge her reasons as easily as you have.

"I think if the lady pharmacist was just waiting to pounce on a customer who wanted the drug she was opposed to, then the pharmacist was in the wrong. Especially if she used that situation to berate the customer. That is mean and spiteful. There is no excuse for that kind of behavior. If the testimony of the attorney is true then that pharmacist was in the wrong."

Like I said in that post if she condmend and berated an innocent customer with moral preaching not even trying to listen to the customer's side of the story, yes that is pharisaism at its best.

That isn't your intention here is it? Just to condemn the pharmacist without hearing her side; giving a good moral preaching about her self righteousness, accusing her of religious fundementalism going overboard all without knowing more about the situation.

There is a little pharsicaism in me, but I never met a pharisee
who could see it in him.