Liberty and on the job expectations

You have a prescription, you go to a pharmacy, you walk out with your medication. That is the way Washington currently operates. Under current rules, an individual pharmacist can refuse due to conscientious objections, but the pharmacies themselves must fill the prescription. (At least, that was how they were supposed to operate, a judge issued an injunction but that's neither here nor there.) Last month, this compromise that was worked out in 2007 came under attack. In an attempt to reach a settlement, the Board of Pharmacy has drafted a new proposal allowing for "facilitated referrals" for pharmacists and pharmacies unwilling to stock or dispense prescribed medications for any reason. This suit is regarding Plan B, the emergency contraception (EC), but if the board adopts this new rule it will have implications beyond women's access to such medication. A self-righteous pharmacist could refuse to sell birth control to an unmarried woman or could stop someone from getting the AIDS cocktail. Amy Luftig, Planned Parenthood's Network of Washington deputy director of public policy, said this: "Pharmacists should not be able to elevate their personal beliefs over the needs of the patient," which is surprisingly similar to what I said back in 2006 when Darr posted this after one particularly heated argument we had on the subject. For the record, I said: "I draw the line when the pharmacist's moral objections are given the authority to block me from receiving the treatment my doctor and I have decided upon. It is the pharmacist's job to dispense medication, not to judge the prescription with his/her own moral compass and only dispense the medications that pass his/her moral test." While employers are required to take reasonable steps to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs, federal and state laws allow for employers to create a "bona fide occupational qualification," for employees. The National Women's Law Center has The Pharmacy Refusal Project should you feel inclined to read more on the subject. At this point I'm thinking we should make all forms of birth control, including EC, available over-the-counter and strip pharmacists completely out of the equation. Although, if you did that then the cashier might be able to object. Argh. The madness never ends.

Is this a disturbing trend or what? A bus driver sues after being fired for refusing to take women to Planned Parenthood. WTF? The driver was "concerned that he might be transporting a client to undergo an abortion." He knew the specific drop-off location because the bus line offers requested pickup for residents of rural areas. First, it should be noted that Planned Parenthood offers a host of other services unrelated to abortion. Second, the driver did not know what they were going to Planned Parenthood for, he made an assumption. Third, I want to know if the driver can be charged with kidnapping for refusing to let the women off the bus at their chosen destination if he kept them on the bus one millisecond longer than they would have been had they gotten off at the bus at their desired location.