New bill could prevent pharmacists from denying contraception prescriptions to customers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Record

New bill could prevent pharmacists from denying contraception prescriptions to customers
Monday, August 1, 2011
BY MISHA PATEL
STAFF WRITER
The Record

Church officials and birth control proponents are at odds regarding new legislation that could prevent pharmacy employees from denying the sale of contraceptives because of their religious beliefs.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., introduced the Access to Birth Control Act on Tuesday, in response to a report from the Institute of Medicine that recommended that birth control be made available without copayment for health reasons.

"This legislation would prevent a pharmacy from interfering in the personal medical decisions made by a patient and her doctor," said Lautenberg in a recent press release. "Birth control is basic health care for women. … By guaranteeing access to birth control, we can ensure that women are never denied the right to make responsible decisions about their reproductive health."

That rang true with Samantha Nardelli of Dumont.

"I'm not going to a pharmacy to be judged," said the 21-year-old. "The doctors are the ones that should be asking the questions, not the pharmacist."



Read more: http://www.northjersey.com/news/126501293_Birth_control_proposal_debated.html

[sakabatou]

1. I like this bill.

[TheWraith]

2. I'm not a big fan of either Maloney or Lautenberg, but I'm glad they're doing this.

I think Lautenberg is a blowhard, and I KNOW Maloney is fucking crazy. But this is a good thing.

[liberalmuse]

3. I just found out today from my daughter...

that her friend in Salt Lake has been denied contraception by pharmacists many times because she doesn't have a wedding ring. I was completely stunned. I wonder if men picking up Viagra have that same problem. Yeah, I didn't think so. She should just borrow a ring. This is unbelievable. I'm so ready for the extinction of the old white Christian patriarchy.

[cstanleytech]

4. Thats just so wrong

if its true that she is being denied contraception.

[saras]

10. In true capitalism, that would be a business opportunity renting wedding rings...

[ZombieHorde]

6. Fucked up. nt

[McCamy Taylor]

8. Birth control pills are used to treat lots of health problems, too. Pharmacists who

act like Gods should lose their licenses, because they are guilty of bad health care.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. When I was in my teens, I had a good friend who was prescribed birth control pills

Because she was born with two uteruses. Every month, she was incapacitated, but the pills relieved the majority of her symptoms, let her function normally again. She said it made a huge difference in her life. I can't see how this would be the pharmacist's business. x(

[LiberalLoner]

16. I was born with that condition too. Just had both of those suckers yanked out six weeks ago.

Very glad to be rid of the suckers. Even BC pills didn't do much for me. Turns out I had adenomyosis in both (as well as endometriosis all around them) and that led to horribly heavy periods and terrific pain. (Birth control can't reverse the adenomyosis - I was probably born with it.)

[Rhiannon12866]

17. Wow. That's quite a coincidence.

But then my friend can't have been unique in this. One of hers was apparently much smaller than the other and she had to have surgery because it was closed off. That helped, but not as much as the pills. And she did go on to have two children. :)

Yikes! I'm sorry that you had further complications. I also had a lot of problems which is the reason that I used to discuss all this with my friend. Later on, I also was prescribed birth control pills because my periods were so severe and frequent. Because they had helped my friend so much, I never questioned it. But it turns out that I was born with fibroids (same as my mother and grandmother) and the hormones in the pills made them grow. I was pretty much incapacitated by that, was so anemic I would pass out, and it took three surgeries in seven years to cure that awful problem. I can never take any hormones again, since they could still come back. So that's the flip side of the coin. :(

I'm so sorry that you had such an awful time, too. I've been there, too, my friend. :hug:

[ZombieHorde]

5. Fingers crossed. Vegetarian pizza delivery people have to deliver meat pizzas. nt

[No Elephants]

7. What are the odds this bill will pass in the Teabag Republicon House?

Sorry, but I see this as showboating designed to ultimately do nothing but distract from the fact that the rich don't pay taxes....still.,

Where's traitor Carville when you need him most: "It's the economy, stupid."

[McCamy Taylor]

9. Just because a bill might not pass does not mean they shouldn't introduce it.

Using that logic, the Civil Rights Act would never have been introduced.

[saras]

11. Plumber: I don't think your kind has a right to a basement without sewage in it

The mechanic, in court: "Yes, I changed the oil and checked the radiator, but I didn't like their bumper stickers, so I didn't fix the brakes. That would explain their failure in the crash."

[Kalidurga]

13. I just checked my calandar it's 2011

that this should even be something up for discussion boggles my mind.

[Demeter]

14. Seeing how this has been bounced from LBN

I'm wondering what constitutes news these days in that forum....

[TeaBagsAreForCups]

15. I have been asking precisely the same question...

... for over six months, now. Just positively sickening to see what has happened to DU.