# Some WA pharmacists want to continue forcing their morality on customers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 26, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277 "2007-07-26T20:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/241 "2007-07-29T22:50:02Z")
Not to worry all, they’ll cure life soon. 🙂 Abortion is the only humane thing after all right? How can ‘First do no harm’ apply to an obstetrician who delivers a child into a life of suffering after all? ;p ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/242 "2007-07-29T22:53:57Z")
I wonder, can people really not see what a huge mistake it is, to allow people in a profession in a medical area to do this? This country does not have a State Religion. Therefore, if a law is made favoring Christians in this area, then the Scientologists must also get the same option, and all the rest of the religions. If the proverbial camel gets it’s nose into the “medical feild” tent in this manner, then I can see it may snowball. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/243 "2007-07-29T23:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] I wonder, can people really not see what a huge mistake it is, to allow people in a profession in a medical area to do this? This country does not have a State Religion. Therefore, if a law is made favoring Christians in this area, then the Scientologists must also get the same option, and all the rest of the religions. If the proverbial camel gets it’s nose into the “medical feild” tent in this manner, then I can see it may snowball. [/QUOTE] Really, can’t people see the difference between killing off a human zygote and eliminating bacteria or a virus? Shouldn’t a human being be considered as of a different quality than athlete’s foot? Careful how you answer cuz if you answer no, and make a convincing argument, I’m gonna see if I can get my hands on a .50 caliber rifle, and a room at the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle! I mean, isn’t the entire point of medicine predicated on the notion that human life is of more importance than the organisms that feed off of our precious fluids? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/244 "2007-07-29T23:02:57Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] Really, can’t people see the difference between killing off a human zygote and eliminating bacteria or a virus? Shouldn’t a human being be considered as of a different quality than athlete’s foot? Careful how you answer cuz if you answer no, and make a convincing argument, I’m gonna see if I can get my hands on a .50 caliber rifle, and a room at the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle! I mean, isn’t the entire point of medicine predicated on the notion that human life is of more importance than the organisms that feed off of our precious fluids? [/QUOTE] This of course, includes the health of the woman who may, potentially get pregnant, right? There are many health reasons why a woman MUST NOT get pregnant, or risk her health or life. What about that? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/245 "2007-07-29T23:05:23Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] This of course, includes the health of the woman who may, potentially get pregnant, right? There are many health reasons why a woman MUST NOT get pregnant, or risk her health or life. What about that? [/QUOTE] I think her community has an obligation to drive her to another pharmacy. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/246 "2007-07-29T23:06:20Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] I think her community has an obligation to drive her to another pharmacy. [/QUOTE] Time senstive, remember? This matters in remote areas. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/247 "2007-07-29T23:15:24Z")
**Zabali Clawbane** She’s lucky she lives in a town that even has a pharmacist, living in the boonies like she does, with no reliable source of transportation. Of course it’d be better for her if that holy rolling prick, would quit his job! I’d be curious to know what the percentage of pharmacists opposed to abortion are. It’s funny the ignorance of history inherent in this. Those unreasonable Christians who built the majority of the hospitals in this country are being uncaring and ridiculous individuals for trying to impose the ridiculous morality that compelled them to build the majority of the hospitals in this country. An Ungrateful populace we have here. Those superstitious dolts never did a damn thing for us! Why should we care about human life in favor of a Christian, then we’d have to care about Scientologists too! Except that most religions agree that human life is sacred, and the government SHOULD favor that view. The last thing people should be clamouring for is Christians leaving the healthcare industry. There’s a reason why so many hospitals have biblical names. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/248 "2007-07-29T23:17:23Z")
How about clamoring for the medical professionals to remain neutral with regards to religion insofar as carrying out their duties to help mankind? ETA: Instead, let them be ethical. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/249 "2007-07-29T23:22:00Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] How about clamoring for the medical professionals to remain neutral with regards to religion insofar as carrying out their duties to help mankind? ETA: Instead, let them be ethical. [/QUOTE] I don’t think one can be ethical at the expense of being moral. Like I said, this is an issue that deals with the sanctity of human life. It is definitely part of the sphere of religion to decide such things. Without religion life has no sanctity, it is merely a collection of chemicals. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/250 "2007-07-29T23:25:55Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] I don’t think one can be ethical at the expense of being moral. Like I said, this is an issue that deals with the sanctity of human life. It is definitely part of the sphere of religion to decide such things. Without religion life has no sanctity, it is merely a collection of chemicals. [/QUOTE] Sure you can, it happens all the time in the ER. Black people have helped rabid KKK types, and saved their lives, Jews also have helped anti-Semites, women have nursed mysoginists, women have nursed rapists, parents have performed life saving procedures on dying pedophiles, you name it, people set their feelings aside to help the patient on a daily basis. ETA: And I might add that those situations would also touch on a person’s religious leanings, and their creed as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/251 "2007-07-30T00:04:36Z")
We have the luxury in our town of a choice among four pharmacies. If any pharmacist ever refused to fill a prescription of mine based on religious beliefs, I’d let him know he’d just lost my business forever. It would be interesting to see how important religious beliefs are when it’s time to pay the light bill. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/252 "2007-07-30T00:21:54Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] It’s funny the ignorance of history inherent in this. Those unreasonable Christians who built the majority of the hospitals in this country are being uncaring and ridiculous individuals for trying to impose the ridiculous morality that compelled them to build the majority of the hospitals in this country. [/QUOTE] I’m ignorant of this history. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/253 "2007-07-30T00:28:07Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] **Siege** I walk at least 1.5 miles every day, if not more. Three miles to get your retroactive contraception is nothing. My Father worked hard to get legislation through in New Mexico so that Pharmacists can prescribe some medications, for the very problem that you are complaining about, so I can sympathize, at least with the people he’s talking about, not with you. You’re a lazy motherfucker. If you’ve got the energy to fuck, you have the energy to walk a few miles. Just think of it this way, the excercise will make you better at fucking, a greater core strength will keep you from coming in her prematurely. [/QUOTE] For the record, sir, that was over a decade ago and in those days I walked a mile and half to and from work every day until I could get a car, at which point I went back to school while working full time so I could get a second degree. I now make double what I did in those days. Am I still a lazy motherfucker? I also wasn’t having sex back in those days and don’t believe in having sex outside of a committed relationship. Birth control and the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy, in my opinion, should be discussed before they become necessary. Unlike the pharmacists in Washington, however, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to force my morals on others. There is, actually, a way around pharmacists who won’t dispense Plan B, but it requires a bit of forethought and planning. You see, I read recently that Plan B has a shelf life of about 2 years. It seems to me that it would make sense to buy Plan B and keep it on hand. On Valentine’s Day, Planned Parenthood in the city I live in now was dispensing it for free. Just as I’ve heard of some men keeping a condom in their wallet just in case, so I’d like to see women keeping Plan B on hand for the same reason. It seems to me that this way no one forces their morals on anyone and people can go about being polite and pleasant to each other rather than casting aspersions on other people’s moral character. By the way, I said it earlier, but it may have been overlooked. Not all hospitals dispense Plan B as part of their rape kit. Some Catholic hospitals have moral objections to it (as I understand it, they also don’t perform abortions or provide birth control) and refuse to stock it or dispense it. I would think that, if I ever had the misfortune to be raped, checking whether the hospital I was being treated at dispensed Plan B would not be my highest priority. Of course, for me, that’s another arguement in favour of having Plan B on hand, although it speaks poorly of human nature. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/254 "2007-07-30T00:46:46Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] I don’t think one can be ethical at the expense of being moral. Like I said, this is an issue that deals with the sanctity of human life. It is definitely part of the sphere of religion to decide such things. Without religion life has no sanctity, it is merely a collection of chemicals. [/QUOTE] Based on whos religion! Perhaps the same one that discourages women from pain medications during child birth? The ones who prohibit the use of blood products donated by others? The ones who don’t think medication of any kind should be used? The ones who think birth control in general is bad? Please tell me what religion is in charge? Should a Christian Scientist pharmacist be allowed to sit and berate EVERY person coming to them that they need to spend more time praying and refuse them their medication because their religion disagrees with the use of many medications. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/255 "2007-07-30T00:52:35Z")
[QUOTE=Zakalwe] I’m ignorant of this history. Cite? [/QUOTE] Ditto, there are plenty of religious hospitals, but county run hospitals are pretty much as staple everywhere in the US. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/256 "2007-07-30T01:17:35Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] But you’re not asking them to tolerate it, you are asking them to facillitate it. [/quote] Hardly. I’m asking them to tolerate it. They chose to work in a field that facilitates it. > [@mswas](#): > > **Siege** I walk at least 1.5 miles every day, if not more. Three miles to get your retroactive contraception is nothing. My Father worked hard to get legislation through in New Mexico so that Pharmacists can prescribe some medications, for the very problem that you are complaining about, so I can sympathize, at least with the people he’s talking about, not with you. You’re a lazy motherfucker. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that it might be available somewhere else shouldn’t even enter into it. The underlying issue is that the pharmacist doesn’t get to decide whether or not someone gets their meds. They have a script, and they have a job. > [@mswas](#): > > If you’ve got the energy to fuck, you have the energy to walk a few miles. Just think of it this way, the excercise will make you better at fucking, a greater core strength will keep you from coming in her prematurely. You don’t burn nearly as many calories from sex, as you do from walking 1.5 miles. And get off your high horse; come back down here with the rest of us dirty sinners. > [@mswas](#): > > Really? My Doctor didn’t seem to have much problem reaching into his cabinet for the vacuum sealed packages of Prilosec when I had acid reflux. Something tells me the chemist isn’t cooking up Levonorgestral at your Walgreens. You’ve heard of “samples”, right? A doctor’s office doesn’t typically have a full pharmacy installed. Although, I’d be all for that, if it meant that these pharmacists would be left subsequently without jobs. > [@mswas](#): > > I think her community has an obligation to drive her to another pharmacy. So, surely the pharmacist wouldn’t mind driving her there, eh? LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/257 "2007-07-30T01:18:44Z")
[QUOTE=Zabali\_Clawbane] Sure you can, it happens all the time in the ER. Black people have helped rabid KKK types, and saved their lives, Jews also have helped anti-Semites, women have nursed mysoginists, women have nursed rapists, parents have performed life saving procedures on dying pedophiles, you name it, people set their feelings aside to help the patient on a daily basis. ETA: And I might add that those situations would also touch on a person’s religious leanings, and their creed as well. [/QUOTE] You’re still missing the point. We are not talking about not helping people who have had abortions, or not helping abortion doctors or not helping people who are pro-choice. What we are talking about is NOT HELPING FACILITATE THE **ACT**. It’s not about the people, it’s about the act. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/258 "2007-07-30T01:23:51Z")
By that same arguement, pharmacists should not dispense birth control pills or patches or other hormonal contraceptives such as Depo-Provera. Plan B operates on the same mechanism as these and is intended to prevent ovulation, not implantation… Yes, there’s an unknown and currently unknowable risk that any of these methods might prevent a fertilized egg from implanting, and I’ve seen websites which argue that these methods should be illegal for that reason. Is the difference really that Plan B implies a lack of forethought and planning while birth control pills, etc. do not? Is there a moral difference between buying Plan B to have it on hand just in case or buying it the morning after because the case arose? ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/259 "2007-07-30T01:28:26Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] What we are talking about is NOT HELPING FACILITATE THE **ACT**. It’s not about the people, it’s about the act. [/QUOTE] Why doesn’t the pharmacist just give the patient some Tylenol, dressed up like Plan B? That way, she’ll be none the wiser and the pharmacist will have saved a life! Surely that would be even more moral (moraler?). I mean, if the woman knows she’ll have to get it somewhere else, then you’ve still “facilitated” the act. (i.e., “Oh you want the guy next door. You’re welcome. Good luck with your baby killing!”) LilShieste ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277/260 "2007-07-30T01:28:41Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] \What we are talking about is NOT HELPING FACILITATE THE **ACT**. It’s not about the people, it’s about the act. [/QUOTE] The act? The act of what? Taking birth control? :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-wa-pharmacists-want-to-continue-forcing-their-morality-on-customers/413277.md?page=14)