Does a Pharmacist Have the Right to Interfere?

category: Dafé’s Café - Daily Dose of Medical News,MyDocHub
by Sarah Scrafford,

They say you must never lie to two people, and no, one of them is not your spouse – your doctor and lawyer. And so you know that there are some things about you that are privy to these two professionals, because if you do lie to them, you’re risking your life and/or freedom. But there’s another person who knows as much about you – your pharmacist. They know what brand of contraceptives you prefer, what kind of diseases you have, and other secrets that you normally don’t share with most people. So the question arises – does that give your pharmacist the same rights that your doctor has?

You would think not – after all, a pharmacist’s job is to just fill out the prescription your doctor has given you, not engage in chitchat with you or offer alternative treatment suggestions. But the problem is that pharmacists are not bound by a code of conduct like doctors are, and this makes them free to talk about you and your ailments to other people. They’re under no legal restrictions to prevent gossiping about you if they so desire, and the only things that stop them is a high sense of morality and good professional ethics.

Some pharmacists feel strongly about issues like abortion and are pro-life, which is why they refuse to dispense medication, even though they are pills that are available over the counter, like morning-after emergency contraceptive pills. Others go a step further and refuse to sell even contraceptives and condoms. Where does that leave you if you’re only looking to protect yourself and have safe sex in these days of rampant disease and AIDS?

Is it right for someone you hardly know to impose their will on you, just because they have strong beliefs? What happens then to the freedom to choose? If you do conceive because of a pharmacist’s refusal to sell you emergency contraceptives, who is responsible for this unplanned pregnancy? And if you do have an abortion, is the pharmacist responsible for the death of the fetus? Is not preventing a fetus from forming much better than killing one after it does take life? And if abortion is not an option, what about the child who comes into the world with all the strikes against him/her? What kind of life do you think he/she is going to have?

There are many questions that arise when we consider the moral and ethical issues of abortion and contraception. But the ones who have all the right answers are the women who are worried about unwanted pregnancies – they’re the ones who have to give up their lives to take care of children, no matter what their financial situation, age or educational background. And this makes them the best people to decide!

This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of online pharmacy technician schools. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.

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