Since the pharmacists in Washington cannot be trusted to do their jobs themselves, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday to force them to carry out their duties.
Two Washington pharmacists had filed a lawsuit saying that their religious beliefs should exempt them from carrying and providing emergency contraception to their customers; that the requirement to do so would make them choose between keeping their jobs or supporting a medication that they regard as a form of abortion. However, the federal appeals court ruled that their personal convictions do not outweigh a person’s right to timely medication. When it comes to the fundamental right to freely exercise one’s religion, the 9th Circuit panel made up of two conservatives named to the court by President George W. Bush and a liberal named by President Clinton, wrote that it “does not relieve an individual of the obligation to comply with a valid and neutral law of general applicability… Any refusal to dispense — regardless of whether it is motivated by religion, morals, conscious, ethics, discriminatory prejudices, or personal distaste for a patient — violated the rules.”
Damn straight! I’ve said this so many times before, but for the record, if you are unable to perform the tasks in which your career depends, you should have pursued a different career. I honestly don’t see what the problem is. It isn’t like a woman who walks into a pharmacy to purchase emergency contraception is going to make the pharmacist who gives it to her take the first dose or something. It has nothing to do with the pharmacist; they are merely the supplier of a medication and if pharmacists are going to start preaching when they hold a job that heavily relies on science and taking the lives of these people into their own hands, they should have never been allowed to hold that job in the first place; however, if we instituted that pharmacy could only be seen as a viable career option for non-judgmental people who are going to do their jobs, there would be even more law suits filed for discrimination. Religion is not being seen and treated as it is supposed to; to be religious is to have a belief in a higher power, not to use it as an excuse for why you’re so much better than everyone else.
You can 
“Waaahhhh! We're not allowed to use our job to punish the people who don't think like we do!”
Seriously, what IS it with people?!
Of course, women who show up to catholic hospitals can't expect to get emergency abortifacients, either. And no one has ever forced them to do so.
Okay…these pharamcist need to be FIRED. Get the hell out of here! If you can do your job, then you need to get lost! No one cares about your own personal beliefs and if you feel that way, then you shouldn't be working as a pharmacist. UGH!
Hey. Just checking out different blogs to get ideas for my blog about XBox 360 deals.
Those drugs could include the morning after pill, also known as Plan B, which can sometimes cause an abortion.
Hmmm interesting…
I guess perhaps its not just a religious belief thing.
Do Catholic hospitals get funding from the government? If so, they shouldn't be allowed to administer medical care dictated by religious beliefs. Are they the only hospital in the area? If so: What happens to the woman who can't get to a different hospital to ask for EC?
NOT an expert on the subject, but my understanding is that, as of now,
Catholic hospitals are not reqd to violate their doctrine in ANY
circumstances, even when they are the only provider in the area. There
seems to be some variability in the law by state, but regulations put
in place during Bush administration trump them. Obama, apparently
intends to change that, but hasn't happened yet.
See:
http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian...
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S10...
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/35587
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15596
I rarely think of anything good to say about K-Mart, but I was in one while visiting my mother and they had a sign up stating their policy that their pharmacists had to dispense any and all medications prescribed. I forget the wording – I don’t think it specifically said EC, but that was obviously the intent. Go K-Mart!
Since the pharmacists in Washington cannot be trusted to do their jobs themselves, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday to force them to carry out their duties.
hmmm! Really a nice post for women. Just passing a message to pharmacists in Washington that perform their duties properly..
There is a certain mechanical drudgery to the job, and Cunniffe can't afford to make a single mistake. So the nuts and bolts of putting the right pill in the right bottle at the right dosage requires his complete concentration.
Pharmacists Rhonda Mesler and Margo Thelen, accompanied by the Stormans Inc. that owns Ralph's Thriftway in Olympia, filed the lawsuit in the federal court on Wednesday.
I don't see how work and religion can get mixed up. Work is work, religion is religion. I don't think the pharmacists would be sinful if they sell emergency contraception.
Hohoho.. It's bad. Don't force someone to do their job.
Collision of religious beliefs with the view of society, the eternal theme.
personalised giftI’m very sympathetic to the argument that there has to be a balance between job requirements and respecting individual religious and moral beliefs. But I’m not particularly sympathetic to the idea that one should be able to take a job and then simply refuse to carry out the requirements of that job, at the expense of someone else’s health.nice blog thanks.
Two 'Washington pharmacists' had filed a lawsuit saying that their religious beliefs should exempt them from carrying and providing emergency contraception to their customers' that the requirement to do so would make them choose between keeping their jobs or supporting a medication that they regard as a form of abortion.thanks.
Separation between church and state–what about OUR civil rights. If they feel that way they most certainly can because this is still a FREE country! Sometimes people take a stand at the wrong time–that type of job requires that not to impose personal feelings. Its just like the doctor patient privacy idea-
Maybe these people need to go find another job that will let them express their beliefs..don't know where that would be because it is their job…kinda between a black hole and a wall….get squashed or be gone..