February 27, 2007

Pharmacist Refusal in South Carolina

The National Women’s Law Center has launched the Pharmacy Refusal Project. They believe that religious refusals to fill prescriptions for contraception, including emergency contraceptive (EC), are a growing problem in the U.S. Initial research conducted by the South Carolina Emergency Contraceptive Initiative found that the majority of South Carolina pharmacists are filling birth control prescriptions.

Despite this fact, state Senator Bryant (R- Anderson) has introduced a pharmacist refusal bill, S. 126. He states on his blog that the bill has broader implications than RU486, the abortion pill. This must be true since RU486 can only be obtained directly through a trained physician or clinic, not a pharmacy. We at TellThem! wonder, if by broader implications, Senator Bryant is referring to a woman’s access to contraceptives? If this is the case, what does Senator Bryant suggest a woman who lives in a rural South Carolina community do when the one pharmacist in her town refuses to fill her prescription at his or her discretion? Perhaps she should walk to the next town to get her prescription filled?



S. 126, Relating to Pharmacy Refusal
The Need for Birth Control Protection in South Carolina
Pharmacy Refusal 101 Factsheet
Don’t Take No for an Answer: A Guide to Pharmacy Refusal Laws, Policies and Practices