Take the title of this post anyway you like.
I just saw this thread, and now I am in a really POOR FUCKING MOOD
jseal, at the risk of repeating points already made here.
1. Pharmacists are licensed by the State. (as am I, by the way) They are REQUIRED by law to perform their duties as outlined in State law and regulations. I too am bound by regulations. Not all of which I agree with, but perform as directed. And don't take that to too extreme an issue, as most of what I discuss disagree with is administrative, plus issues about inadequate patient to nurse care ratios.
2. The argument that this is a new issue
"I need only point out that the rules of the game were changed after the pharmacists had made their career decisions" is fallacious at the very FUCKING least. New rules as well as new meds and therapies, not to mention new uses of older meds become available constantly, even daily.
3. The rule violates their religious and moral beliefs.
If I accept your arguement, a pharmacist can refuse to issue AIDS medicine, pain meds, contraceptives, antibiotics, seizure meds, diabetes meds, cold and allergy medicine, for whatever moral reason he or she might decide.
This is not a stretch. I can easily create a religiously (not scientific) valid reason for withholding any of these therapies.
4. Causes death of a fertilized egg, thus ends a life.
BULLFUCKING SHIT!!! Who knows if there is a fertilized egg?
This med works in a number of ways.
It delays ovulation, preventing an egg from being available for fertilization.
It may temporarily STOP ovulation, having the same effect.
(remember that post intercourse there is viable sperm in the womb for several days, so this delay is very effective.)
It is THEORIZED that if there is a "free floating" fertilized egg, one that has not yet attached to the uterine wall and begun to grow and develop, the meds may irritate the lining of the uterus to the point where the egg can not attach. If there is already and egg attached, this med will HAVE NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER, as it is NOT an abortificent.
This issue is a pure political CRAP designed to instill more pain, antagonism and pure conflict between people, especially in those who don't understand the science, all for political gain (power)
How many of you knew that well OVER ONE HALF of all pregnancies, (some theorize as many as 75%) end in what is medically known as a "spontaneous abortion" or miscarriage? There's no deep, dark sinister aspect to this. Simply, that percentage of IMPLANTED fertilized eggs are defective, not viable, and REJECTED by the Womans' body, most often without her knowledge that she was ever pregnant. How many fertilized NOT implanted eggs are expelled? Many times the number of implanted eggs. Sometimes they simply never find purchase.
This raises doubt on the enitre idea that EVERY FERTILIZED egg is going to develop into a human child, doesn't it?
Do we next require that every woman of child bearing age be restricted to bed for several days or even weeks post coitus to ensure that any fertilized egg has the best chance of attaching and developing?
When a practitioner (and I have LOTS and LOTS of problems thinking of pharmacist as "Practioners of Medicine"- Yes, they are part of the family, but therapies are always BEST decided by the CLINICIAN who KNOWS, TOUCHES AND EXAMINES the patient) violate law and their own code of professional conduct, they must be prepared for the result.
There is a well known story of a local, VERY conservative MD who refused to perform emergency surgery on a woman who suffering a tubal pregancy, he refused to "terminate a fetus".
Small town, the only other doctor was brought in, but too late. She died, he went to prison, where, forgive me, I hope he suffered horrible pain and indignity for many years.
A pharmacist who refuses to prescribe the "MAP" should be liable for support for the child if one results from the sexual encounter.
Period.
(the father too, of course, but a child needs lot of support)
So:Put your money where your HALF FUCKING ASSED IGNORANT PSEUDO SCIENTIFIC BELIEFS ARE, RHONDA AND MARGO.
WW