Pharmacists has a great responsibility to make sure that peoples meds are dispensed accurately. Should they assume responsibility for filling the prescriptions in the first place?
From Reuters comes this story of the "Jesus Pharmacists" who routinely refuse prescriptions for contraceptives and pain medication:
Docs want to dispense drugs if pharmacists won't
The American Medical Association wants legislation that will allow physicians to dispense drugs when pharmacists say their consciences will not allow them to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, painkillers and mood stabilizers.
The AMA says conscientious objection by pharmacists is a major public health problem in many areas of the country.
It can't be that bad now can it? Unfortunately:
Some pharmacists first balked at filling prescriptions for oral contraceptives and the emergency contraceptive pill called Plan B. But a coalition of medical specialty societies, including the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), now claims the refusals have spread to medications for mental conditions and pain medicines.
Moreover, they say that pharmacists often refuse to refer patients to other pharmacists to get prescriptions filled.
Dr. Mary Frank of Mill Valley, California, a former president of the AAFP, said some pharmacists are also refusing to return prescriptions that they refuse to fill and "they are lecturing patients. This is interfering with patient's access to care."
(emphasis mine) What idiots -- they are there to act on the Doctors orders and to serve as a final check and balance to make sure that contra-indicating drugs are not prescribed simultaneously. If they are unable to keep their personal belief system from interfering, they need to find a new line of work.
