Walgreen Disciplines 4 Pharmacists (Religious Rights Alert!)

CBS ^ | November 30, 2005

[mhking]

They should find a pharmacy whose inventory better reflects their religious views.

Exactly.

[sinkspur]

You jump in on the side of imposing your religious beliefs on a private concern.

Start your own pharmacy.

[buckeyeblogger]

Private employer has the right to set what it requires its private employees to sell....

The government need not be involved either way. The market will resolve.

I couldn't have said it any better, no one could.

[wideawake]

Don't become a pharmasist.

Pharmacists, like doctors and all other human beings, have an obligation not to injure or kill people.

It is not a pharmacist's professional obligation as a pharmacist to dispense abortifacients.

[JohnnyZ]

I support following the law and the dictates of your employer.

How about supporting laws that allow pharmacists freedom of conscience?

Do you support requiring all prospective doctors to perform abortion, just in case they 'need to' in the future? Would your message be, "pro-lifers should get out of the medical profession!" Did you forget about standing up for what's right?

If an individual has such a strong ideology that would prohibit him from doing so (especially knowing the situation in advance),

Knowing what situation in advance? That the governor might come along some day and declare an "emergency rule" requiring all pharmacists to dispense abortion drugs?

And you support that, and think everyone should go along or go quietly, move their family to another state and not make a fuss?

[mel]

You got that right

[mel]

And with the pharmacist shortage, if enough did that, it would make impact

[wideawake]

You jump in on the side of imposing your religious beliefs on a private concern.

The fact that an unborn child is a human being is not a religious matter, but a fact of biology.

A private company has no right to enjoin its employees to commit murder. That is not a just condition of unemployment.

[JohnnyZ]

You jump in on the side of imposing your religious beliefs on a private concern.

Allowing pharmacies to make their own decisions about freedom of conscience is not "imposing" anything.

Walgreens allowed that freedom in Illinois until it was declared illegal by the governor, and allows it in other states.

[JamesP81]

they took the job knowning they would sell the stuff. They could quit their jobs. Oh wait, they want it both ways - the company to pay them and to get to do what they want. They sound like welfare moms.

Uhhh, no. Walgreen's company policy is that pharmacists don't have to sell those drugs. Walgreens, however, no longer has any choice in the matter because the state governor made a decree making it illegal. I suppose all pharmacists need to become clairvoyant so they can avoid states in which the gubmint will in the future pass a law requiring them to dispense abortion drugs.

[MeanWestTexan]

"I have to agree... and then we have the right of boycott. That's the free market."

I agree. I'd be boycotting already, if I didn't already use a locally-owned pharmacy!

[sinkspur]

A private company has no right to enjoin its employees to commit murder. That is not a just condition of unemployment.

While the pharmacists are free to bring suit against Walgreen's enjoining the above point, the pharmacists will remain unemployed because they have violated a condition of employment.

It would be preferable for their own benefit if they sought employment in another state.

[Phantom Lord]

It is not a pharmacist's professional obligation as a pharmacist to dispense abortifacients

Is it not a pharmacists job to fill and dispense prescriptions given to their customers by their doctors?

If a pharmacists employer allows them to refuse to fill certain prescriptions because it violates their religious beliefs, that is fine. No problem. But if the pharmacists employer does not allow this, then the pharmacist has two choices. Fill the prescriptions or quit.

And in this case as it has been noted several times, it is not Walgreens that makes them fill the prescriptions, it is state law. So the pharmacists have 3 options. Fill the prescriptions, quit, or get the law changed.

[sinkspur]

Walgreens allowed that freedom in Illinois until it was declared illegal by the governor, and allows it in other states.

Walgreen's no longer has a choice, and is willing to accommodate these pharmacists in one of those other states.

They should take the offer.

[MeanWestTexan]

"And with the pharmacist shortage, if enough did that, it would make impact."

Correct. I always cringe at all the "we need a law" conservatives. They're as bad as liberals.

Just quit the awful pharmacy. Vote with your feet.

Customers, vote with your dollars.

[wideawake]

It would be preferable for their own benefit if they sought employment in another state.

As a practical matter, sure.

As a matter of principle IL's governor, in a unprincipled fashion reminiscent of a dictator, has imposed a rule upon a private business and the private business is caving in to the despotism rather than defending its employees basic rights.

[stuartcr]

"....some perpetually-offended FReepers use double standards....'

Spot-on, thanks

[MeanWestTexan]

"A private company has no right to enjoin its employees to commit murder. That is not a just condition of unemployment."

Unfortunately, the law does not agree with us on that issue.

The solution is to find a job elsewhere, which is quite easy for pharmacists these days.

[JohnnyZ]

I always cringe at all the "we need a law" conservatives.

This problem was caused by the liberal governor declaring an "emergency rule" outlawing Walgreens' previous practice.

Why don't you support the right of private companies to make their own policies on the matter?