Pharmacist refused to fill prescription for moral reasons

As a healthcare worker, the pharmacist had a right not to fill the prescription if it violated her morals or ethics, but I'm sure it was the berating she gave the customer that got her fired, especially b/c the issue was so sensitive.
You guys are being really harsh on the pharmacist for refusing to fill the prescription, hell, a lot of pharmacists refuse to fill things b/c of their beliefs, this one just happen to lose it on a customer.

Like someone said earlier, there are 2 sides to the story...whose to say the customer didn't instigate the berating once the pharmacist first calmly told the lady she couldn't fill her prescription...hell, if she has 6 kids she might not be the most educated or great with impulse control...sure I'm reaching, but it could've happened and the media will present it to us in a way that will get the maximum emtional response.

 

Kind of like the story of the old man who walked into a pharmacy to fill a scrip...about 7 people waiting....he hands the scrip to the pharmacist, who reads it, and then replies at the top of his voice "WHY ON EARTH DOES SOMEONE LIKE YOU NEED A 50 COUNT BOTTLE OF 100 MG VIAGRA????"

 

If thats really the case......that a pharmacist has the right to reject a prescription based on his/her morals, (i never knew this) then the problem lies in that law. Thats a terrible power to give to pharmacists.

 

get a new job.

 

Well, it actually applies to all healthcare workers...it's similar to making a nurse or tech be involved with an abortion. They can't be made to do that and they have the right to not be apart of it. This will always be an issue in the health field, it's just a good thing that there are other HC workers that share the same views as the customer so she could go to them instead.

 

Morals can be a systematic thought process used to protect others health. Actually, that is exactly what morals are to me - not a code of beliefs.

There are instances of pharmacists refusing prescriptions when they can tell the doctor is letting their patients abuse them to make money of their office visits. There are unscrupulous doctors out there too. Would you consider this a bad thing?

 

What if it is in a small town and you are the only doctor, nurse, pharmacist? Does this still apply?

 

Unfortunately yes.

 

Guess that is one reason not to live in an isolated area.

 

Damn..Tex. You must have been sooo embarrassed!

 

I see what ure saying....but rejecting based on potential fraud or your belief that someone is being taken advantage of by a doctor is one thing.....rejecting based on your own beliefs is much different IMO. The pharmacist is basically controlling others' beliefs/morals...especially, if like someone mentioned, you live in a "one horse" town.

 

What does morals have to do with anything in America anymore?

Everyone believes something. But nothing is moral. Moral is in the eyes of the beholder.

beat her up
take away her liscense
she's playing God

All sound moral judgment from the moral majority.

While trying to throw dirt on my molehill (to no avail it still looks like a molehill)


I sit here thinking what are we going to do about all these people who are out to ruin America because they refuse to violate morals. (whatever morals are?)

Morals are ruining everything-
Howard Stern
Child p*rn
Walgreens

Look Europe has public nude beaches and Amsterdam has most everything else.

What in the world is holding us back?

The first pharmacist that won't fill my blood pressure medicine because is says Rev. in front of my name is getting punched in the nose. (unless it is a lady which cursed morals force me to resort to verbal berating which is a poor substitute)

Crazed health care workers need to keep their ethics to themselves. Morals and ethics are not for health care providers. Those subjects should be locked into the minds of those of us here in the BBS who judge the most important issues in the world because we are the highest authority morally, at least in our own mind.




Seriously, I hope the pharmacist if guilty is coached on how to respect others and treat people with dignity and kindness.

 

Howard Stern - u can turn him off if you choose
Child p*rn - thats not a moral...its a felony
walgreens - in some towns, you have no choice as to where u can get a script filled

there's a difference

 

I don't know, I'm going to hold off on beating the woman up until the facts come out. And by facts, I mean something besides the facts interpreted by the lady's LAWYER.

 

good thing the pharmacist filled MY script....

 

It seems like these cases are cropping up more and more.

IMO I definately think the pharmacist should've been fired. Walgreens has a policy allowing the pharmacist to refuse and once she refused she should've ended it at that. If the customer persisted she shouldn't have berated her just locked the counter and told her if she didn't leave security would be called. Treat that customer the same as any other customer.

What's different about this case and some of the other cases is that Walgreens has a policy like that but in cases where the pharmacy doesn't I definately believe the pharmacist should be disciplined. We live in a free society where you can choose where you work at. If where you're working at is doing something you don't morally agree with but is otherwise legal you should go work somewhere else. As a salesperson to refuse to sell a legal product for moral reasons is undercutting your duty as an employee to the employer.

For instance: If someone is morally against p*rnography and works at a video store is it OK to refuse to rent pornos to adults? If someone is morally against smoking and works at 7-11 should is it OK for them to refuse to sell smokes to someone over 18? Should a waiter against drinking refuse to serve wine with dinner?

I understand that morals are important but as long as a product is legal and you work for a company that sells that product as an employee its not your call undercut that business for your own morality. If you don't like it don't work for that business.

 

NJRocket--

dry humor attempts bombing on BBS

in fact your original reaction got me to push aside this pile of work on my desk (I have run out of room in my file cabinets to hide it all) and post, it is a stress relief to post and I thank you for that.

 

i prefer to not be a part of your stress relief