Posted on 08/19/2005 2:24:44 AM PDT by hocndoc
HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Local & State
Aug. 18, 2005, 10:34PM
Austin prohibits Walgreens from refusing to fill prescriptions
By LISA FALKENBERG Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
AUSTIN - Texas' capital city became the first in the nation Thursday, according to Planned Parenthood, to prohibit a pharmacy from refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control, emergency contraceptives and other medications. ADVERTISEMENT
The measure, approved unanimously by the Austin City Council, requires Walgreens, the city's pharmaceutical contractor, to fill prescriptions for patients on Austin's medical assistance program "in-store, without discrimination or delay," even if an individual pharmacist declines to fill a prescription based on personal beliefs.
Planned Parenthood hailed the measure as a model for other cities and a strong statement against recent high-profile cases across the country in which pharmacists cited moral objections to filling birth-control prescriptions.
"We haven't heard of any other city to do this," said Danielle Tierney, regional spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood. "Instead of waiting for a woman in Austin to get denied her prescriptions, we're putting in this extra layer of protection and taking a positive, proactive approach to the problem. Our hope is that other city councils will look at this and say, 'What a great idea. We can do this in our community, too.' "
In the Dallas area, several women have been denied prescriptions, including a rape victim who was refused the "morning after pill" and a North Richland Hills mother of two and first-grade teacher, who was denied her birth-control pills.
Joe Pojman of the Texas Alliance for Life downplayed the significance of the provision, which affects only nine Walgreens stores in Austin's medical assistance network.
"Strangely, I don't see it as such a big deal," Pojman said. "I'm just wondering if they're not grasping for something they could call a victory, to have something to show to their donors."
Michael Polzin, a spokesman for Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens, said the Austin provision differs from the company's general policy in only one way.
Normally, a Walgreens store manager can refer a customer elsewhere if a pharmacist objects to filling a prescription and there's no one else to fill it, Polzin said. The Austin rule requires the prescription be filled in-store.
"This program was a unique situation, and that's why we agreed to the provision," Polzin said. "I wouldn't see any reason that this would go beyond the single program."
Polzin said he thinks the company's general policy is balanced, meeting its obligation to serve customers and respecting the beliefs of its 16,000 pharmacists nationwide.
"We want our pharmacists to have the ability to step away from that situation. We don't want them to step in the way," he said.
Walgreens' agreement with Austin, which begins Sept. 1, will affect more than 50,000 people using the city's health care clinics, including more than 8,000 families who use it for family planning, said Karen Gross, policy director for Austin City Council member Brewster McCracken, who sponsored the provision.
lisa.falkenberg@chron.com
In a free society, they have a right to carry what they wish, we have the right to take our business elsewhere.
No, I wouldn't. Would you have a problem with the Jewish deli owner down the street refusing to sell ham, or the Mormon supermarket owner refusing to sell alcohol and cigarettes?
Good catch. This is the city demanding that Walgreens live up to its contractual obligations.
That would probably be a violation of their contract with Austin.
Solution?
Remove every Walgreens from the Austin city limits.
Austin City Council
Mayor Will Wynn
Phone: (512) 974-2250
Fax: (512) 974-2337
Office Term: June 15, 2003, to June 15, 2006
Physical Address
City Hall
301 W. 2nd St. 2nd Floor
Austin, Texas 78701
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/contacts.htm
You are so right. These PRIVATE companies should be FORCED to do the pro-abort lobbies bidding!
Pro-Life doctors should be FORCED to perform abortions! If they don't, take their license away!
(sarcasm off)
They didn't give up their moral obligations just because they chose pharmacy as a profession. You obviously don't know much about their "job duties".
Maybe you should take care of YOUR PROBLEMS before you run out of birth control pills. You can take your business elsewhere.
EXACTLY!
"WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE"!
And you are FREE to take that prescription to ANOTHER PHARMACY.
All Contracts have escape clauses.
I guess NARAL's supporters are the ONLY people who get to CHOOSE. Everyone else is suppose to bow to their orders.
That's the "pro-business" (and pro-toll road) Brewster McCracken that conservatives were urged to back when he was running for his council seat. Reminds me of the Jennifer Kim thing where conservatives were told to back her even though I don't think she do anything conservatives will applaud.
Essentially, I consider Austin city government a lost cause and I'm not going to go out of my way for the equivalents of Jim Jeffords or Lincoln Chafee. They'll turn on us just as easily as the other libs will.
And you are FREE to take that prescription to ANOTHER PHARMACY.
I'm a little confused; based on this "free market" analogy, then any hospital should be able to refuse treatment to anybody - after all, they can go to another hospital, can't they? Or, to extend the "Jewish Deli" analogy, they can refuse service to anyone wearing a burka - they can go to another deli, can't they?
Now, if a pharmacy does not stock a particular med, that's their choice, and the customer should never go there again for that prescription. But once they've chosen to keep it in stock, denying to dispense it based on "moral beliefs" is wrong (especially in this day of prescribing meds for side effects).
I especially like the post about condoms - should a cashier be allowed to refuse to ring up a box of condoms?
what if Walgreens refuses to stock my favorite brand of breath mints?
What the heck is "emergency" contraception? RU486?
Since when is a hospital a "free market". Many of them now are government subsidized. It's not the same as a private business which gets no government handouts (Thank God!).
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