Emergency Birth-Control Rule Is Working To Protect Illinois Women

Washington, DC—Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's emergency rule that requires pharmacies in the state to fill prescriptions for birth control without delay already is demonstrating success for women.

Walgreens, one of the nation's largest retail pharmacies, has disciplined four pharmacists in Illinois who refused to guarantee their customers' access to legally prescribed medication because the pharmacists refuse to dispense birth control due to their personal beliefs.

Keenan said Walgreens compliance with the state policy was a positive development in Illinois, and she called on the retail chain to implement a nationwide guarantee for birth control—a policy that Walgreens does not have in place currently.

"In April, I stood side-by-side with Governor Blagojevich when he issued an administrative rule to guarantee that women receive their prescriptions for birth control, including the morning-after pill, without hassle and without delay," Keenan said. "I commend Walgreens for following the law and suspending four of the company's pharmacists who refused to comply. I call on all pro-choice Americans to send Walgreens a thank-you e-mail and urge the company to adopt a formal, nationwide policy that protects women's health by requiring its pharmacies to fill all safe, legal prescriptions without delay or inconvenience."

Walgreens Statement on Pharmacist Refusal

". . . [W]e believe it's reasonable to respect the individual pharmacist's beliefs by not requiring them to fill a prescription they object to on moral or religious grounds. We also believe it's reasonable to meet our obligation to the patient by having another pharmacist at the store fill the prescription. If another pharmacist is not on duty, we will arrange to have the prescription filled at a nearby pharmacy before the patient leaves the store."[E-mail sent to NARAL Pro-Choice America Activist from Walgreens customer relations, April 12, 2005]

Press Accounts of Refusals by Walgreens Pharmacists

May 2005, Wisconsin: A mother of six walked into a Walgreens pharmacy to fill a prescription for emergency contraception. The pharmacist refused to fill it and proceeded to berate the woman in front of a crowded waiting area. The pharmacist called the mother a murderer and said "I will not help you kill this baby. I will not have blood on my hands." Subsequently, the woman became pregnant and decided to terminate the pregnancy. [Pharmacist Refuses to Fill Prescriptions for Moral Reasons: Walgreens Allows Pharmacists to Not Dispense Drugs They Object to, The MilwaukeeChannel.com (May 5, 2005)]

October 2004, Georgia: Michelle Havich tried to refill her birth-control prescription at a drugstore (part of the Walgreens chain) in Smyrna. The pharmacist said she did not believe in birth control, refused to fill the prescription, and told Havich to come back later. [Pharmacists' Ability to Reject Prescriptions on Personal Grounds Violates Consumers' Rights, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, (October 14, 2004)] 

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032