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Pharmacists not held liable for refusing prescriptions under new bill
AP ^ | 4/4/5

Posted on 04/04/2005 7:52:34 AM PDT by SmithL

A bill making its way through the Legislature would protect state pharmacists for refusing to fill certain prescriptions.

The Pharmacists Freedom of Conscience Act would free from liability or disciplinary measures any pharmacist who cites moral or religious objections to dispensing things like birth control pills or Viagra.

Republican House sponsor Glen Casada of College Grove says pharmacists need such a law, since doctors and nurses are protected in a similar fashion.

However, opponents of the legislation believe it's a disguised effort to limit access to contraceptives.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: conscienceclause; healthcare; ikantspelkeywords; pramacistsrights
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To: Angry_White_Man_Syndrome
So, should doctors be forced to perform abortions? Or nurses be forced to assist in them? I'm sure thier are plenty of other examples of things you would not do if your employer demanded.

If such procedures are part of their job and they refuse to perform them, the employer should have every right to fire them.

41 posted on 04/04/2005 9:18:21 AM PDT by Modernman ("I'm in favor of limited government unless it limits what I want government to do."- dirtboy)
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To: blueminnesota
Birth control is not abortion.

Actually many to most birth control pills are abortion pills. They do NOT prevent conception but prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus thus causing the fertilized egg to die. That is abortion and that is the one major reason why the Catholic church is opposed to the use of BC pills.

In any event ALL morning after pills are abortion pills. Women can get all of their contraception and abortion needs met at Planned Parenthood and PP is always happy to have the business. There is no moral reason to expect life loving people to help women (and indirectly men) in their quest to have a responsibility free sex life.

42 posted on 04/04/2005 9:19:18 AM PDT by An American In Dairyland
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To: SmithL
The Pharmacists Freedom of Conscience Act would free from liability or disciplinary measures any pharmacist who cites moral or religious objections to dispensing things like birth control pills or Viagra.

What moral objections could anyone possibly have to Viagra?

43 posted on 04/04/2005 9:22:32 AM PDT by Modernman ("I'm in favor of limited government unless it limits what I want government to do."- dirtboy)
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To: SmithL

How about these pharmacists opening up a 'life enhancing pharmacy' or a 'pro-life' pharmacy that does not sell abortifacients, birth control, condoms, viagra,etc.etc.etc. That way someone knows what they're getting into when they walk into the pro-life pharmacy?


44 posted on 04/04/2005 9:23:57 AM PDT by cyborg (Feel the FReeper Love)
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To: Modernman
As for government enforcing it, why would government need to enforce anything? Such a situation would be nothing more than the employer exercising his right to fire an employee who won't do their job.

This law does more than one thing. First it provides protection against lawsuits, which I fully agree with. Lawsuits can be a tool the courts use monetary means to force Pharmasists to submit to the PC will of some judge. That is absolutely wrong. Depending on the text of the law, if it does not give the employer the right to fire an employee, it may go too far there. But that was not your initial arguement.

45 posted on 04/04/2005 9:24:49 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: Always Right
Depending on the text of the law, if it does not give the employer the right to fire an employee, it may go too far there. But that was not your initial arguement.

Huh? That was exactly my initial argument.

46 posted on 04/04/2005 9:32:49 AM PDT by Modernman ("I'm in favor of limited government unless it limits what I want government to do."- dirtboy)
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To: Modernman
If such procedures are part of their job and they refuse to perform them, the employer should have every right to fire them.

Now the country's two largest Drug Stores (Walgreens and CVS) both have policies allowing for pharmacists to opt out of dispensing a drug that violates their conscience. Now is it OK under those circumstances? Or do wish to defend your orignial statement that "A pharmacist shouldn't be allowed to refuse to fill orders any more than a soldier should be allowed to refuse to go to war."?

47 posted on 04/04/2005 9:33:53 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: Modernman
Huh? That was exactly my initial argument.

This is how:

A pharmacist shouldn't be allowed to refuse to fill orders any more than a soldier should be allowed to refuse to go to war. They both knew what they were siging up for. This is ridiculous. And we often hear that businesses are not nonprofits, they are for making money, not doing good or following an agenda. Birth control is not abortion. And BC pills are often used for other medical conditions, not just to control reproduction. The pharmacists need to do their job or find a new line of work.

You were not talking about employer's rights on your initial post. You initial arguement was that all pharmasists and business must dispense all orders, period. Now you are taking a much different position about employer's rights, which I agree with.

48 posted on 04/04/2005 9:38:17 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: Always Right

That was my original post, but that's OK because you're obviously confused about a lot of things. Oh, and I do stand by it.


49 posted on 04/04/2005 9:43:45 AM PDT by blueminnesota
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To: Always Right

That wasn't my post.


50 posted on 04/04/2005 9:46:34 AM PDT by Modernman ("I'm in favor of limited government unless it limits what I want government to do."- dirtboy)
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To: Modernman

Sorry, you came in in the middle of a disagreement and I confused you with a different poster.


51 posted on 04/04/2005 9:46:39 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: blueminnesota
That was my original post, but that's OK because you're obviously confused about a lot of things. Oh, and I do stand by it.

So in your humble opinion a pro-life Pharmasist or Doctor should seek a new profession if the don't want to do abortions. Sounds right out of the USSR handbook. Sorry, but you are in the wrong country. CVS and Walgreens are wrong and should be put out of business because they allow their pharmasists discretion on what they dispense?

52 posted on 04/04/2005 9:49:19 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: Modernman
There are plenty of FR posters who believe that an employer should not be allowed to fire a pharmacist who refuses to fill certain prescriptions.

I was hoping any such leftist goofballs would 'out' themselves right here and now.

53 posted on 04/04/2005 9:50:01 AM PDT by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
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To: Modernman

"Just doing their job" didn't work for Nazi concentration camp jobs or for Saddam's professional rapists and it won't work here.


54 posted on 04/04/2005 9:53:13 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: newgeezer
I was hoping any such leftist goofballs would 'out' themselves right here and now.

Most of them object based on religious grounds. They consider it religious discrimination if an employer is able to fire someone in such a situation.

55 posted on 04/04/2005 9:53:53 AM PDT by Modernman ("I'm in favor of limited government unless it limits what I want government to do."- dirtboy)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
"Just doing their job" didn't work for Nazi concentration camp jobs or for Saddam's professional rapists and it won't work here.

Hyperbolic nonsense. No pharmacist is required to fill prescriptions for anything they find morally objectionable. They can simply quit their job if they find the job offensive.

Should a Muslim or Jew be allowed to refuse to fulfill certain requirements of a job at a pig slaughterhouse?

56 posted on 04/04/2005 9:57:24 AM PDT by Modernman ("I'm in favor of limited government unless it limits what I want government to do."- dirtboy)
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To: blueminnesota
I said businesses should do their job and a pharmacists job is filling doctors perscriptions. ... When abortion and birth control is against the law then I will support pharmacists refusing perscriptions. Otherwise it is not their job to nanny to their customers.

So, I'm still wondering. You seem to be pro-business but, are you saying an independent pharmacist who owns the pharmacy should be required (by law) to fill any and all prescriptions presented to him/her?

57 posted on 04/04/2005 10:00:47 AM PDT by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
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To: Modernman
P.S. There is no need to pretect the pharmacist from being fired over this in Tennessee. A licensed pharmacist in Tennessee can demad a $90,000/yr salary and get it in any town in the state. And they can get it today. My wife could quit her job at lunch and have another before she came home. So, a store owner is extremely unlikely to fire a pharmacist with such a shortage. This is about protecting the pharmacist AND the store owner from lawsuits from the ACLU and Planned Parenthood for refusing to dispense RU-486.

You didn't think that the lawyers would stop at suing the pharmacist when they can go after Eckerd's or RiteAid or CVS or Walgreen's deep pockets, did you?

58 posted on 04/04/2005 10:01:07 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: An American In Dairyland
That is abortion and that is the one major reason why the Catholic church is opposed to the use of BC pills.

No really, they are opposed to barrier methods, too.

59 posted on 04/04/2005 10:02:18 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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To: Modernman

The issue is NOT Viagra. The AP no doubtedly threw that in there to muddy the water. The issue is RU-486.


60 posted on 04/04/2005 10:03:22 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
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