Some pharmacists' religious beliefs are at odds with their professional duties and an Appeals Court ruling just made this problem more difficult for them. The court said that all pharmacists must sell the "morning after pill" even if it violates their religious or moral codes.
A pharmacy owner and workers had tried to block 2007 regulations that required all Washington pharmacies to stock and dispense the pills. You can read the entire story here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-pill-ruling9-2009jul09,0,6469894.story
I have written an essay on this topic and posted it on Helium.com. It is rated the #1 article of the 30 that have also been posted on Helium.com. Here is how my essay begins:
To a pharmacist who believes that human life begins at conception, the morning after pill is a deadly weapon. Forcing him or her to sell this pill is akin to asking them to sell a gun to a known assassin. On the other hand, the person who buys the morning after pill sees it as a good, practical solution for terminating an unwanted pregnancy. Reconciling these two very different views doesn't seem possible. They are black and white, aren't they?
Our society has wrestled for many years with related issues, and how we have dealt with them may help us understand both sides. What is the official time when human life begins? When does someone's moral code take precedence over existing law? What should we consider a human right? What do we do when one person's freedoms and rights infringe on another's? These are really trick questions because their answers have changed over the years, depending on the prevailing powers that be.
If you would like to read my entire essay, go to:
http://www.helium.com/items/1512962-pharmacists-violate-religious-beliefs-morning-after-pill
You can share your thoughts on this subject by posting your comments to this blog. I look forward to hearing from you.
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