There's a bill in the state senate right now to protect the right of pharmacists to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions, and to prevent them from being punished or fired for doing so. Governor Doyle vetoed a similar bill last year; a spokesperson said, "The governor does not think medical treatment should depend on the personal or political views of a doctor or pharmacist."
Yet there is a growing movement in this country for laws like this. The patient, of course, is the one caught in the middle. There have been reports of pharmacists berating patients whishing to get their prescriptions filled, and likewise imposing their beliefs on patients by refusing to find another pharmacist who will fill the prescription, or refusing to transfer the prescription to another pharmacy.
Most dismaying, though, is the remarks of Matt Sande, of Pro-Life Wisconsin. Critics of the law argued that it could restrict access to contraceptives, especially in rural areas, and in turn lead to more abortions. Sande acknowledged this, but replied "...Inconvenience should not trump conscience in this country."
While that might be true, the fact of the matter is that if your conscience is getting in the way of doing your job and inconveniencing your customer, maybe you need another line of work.
No comments:
Post a Comment