Archive for March 28th, 2005

You have the right…

Monday, March 28th, 2005

…to get another job.

Imagine. Pharmacists choosing to “conscientiously refuse” to dispense “objectionable” medication.

From Washington Post:
“Some pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs.”

This religiosity is going too far. Religion is a personal choice. People who choose to believe that birth control is evil can very well keep such thoughts private. I recognise a persons right to uphold their morality anyway they choose, I do not recognise their rights to tell others what to do.

Thankfully, the court system still thinks rationally, although this could change:

“Pharmacists are regulated by state laws and can face disciplinary action from licensing boards. But the only case that has gotten that far involves Neil T. Noesen, who in 2002 refused to fill a University of Wisconsin student’s birth control pill prescription at a Kmart in Menomonie, Wis., or transfer the prescription elsewhere. An administrative judge last month recommended Noesen be required to take ethics classes, alert future employers to his beliefs and pay what could be as much as $20,000 to cover the costs of the legal proceedings. The state pharmacy board will decide whether to impose that penalty next month.”

“He’s a devout Roman Catholic and believes participating in any action that inhibits or prohibits human life is a sin,” said Aden of the Christian Legal Society. “The rights of pharmacists like him should be respected.”

Give me a break! If the nature and procedures of his occupation grieves him, perhaps it is time for him to re-evaluate his career choices. there are lots of good paying jobs out there. Maybe he should become a shopping mall Santa, if he’s so religious.