Proposed Rule Fails to Protect Patient Access to Prescriptons
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2006
Board of Pharmacy Proposes Rule that Fails to Protect Patient Access to Prescriptions
Seattle, WA – NARAL Pro-Choice Washington today announced its strong opposition to a proposed rule adopted by the State Board of Pharmacy that allows pharmacists to refuse to fill safe, valid and legal prescriptions.
“This rule does not ensure that women in our state will be able to get their birth control prescriptions filled”, said Karen Cooper, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “We are disappointed and shocked that the board has shown such utter disregard for the thousands of calls, emails and letters Washingtonians have sent them, urging them not to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on personal, non-medical judgments”, she added.
“Throughout this process certain members of the board have made clear that they do not care that the overwhelming majority of Washingtonians oppose pharmacist refusal policies”, Cooper said “the rule put forward today makes very clear that the Board does not understand its duty to protect the public from the rare pharmacist who seeks to impose his or her personal views on patients by refusing to fill safe, valid and legal prescriptions”, she concluded.
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington strongly opposes any policy that would permit pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription a legal, valid prescription based on non-medical judgments. If a pharmacist is personally opposed to filling a prescription, the pharmacist or the pharmacy must ensure that patients can get their prescription filled at the same pharmacy without hassle or delay.
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington applauds the leadership role that pharmacists in Washington state have taken in improving access to emergency contraception. Washington state has always been a leader on the issue of access to emergency contraception. In 1998, through the work of pharmacists in our state, Washington became the first state in the country to allow women to access EC through a pharmacy directly. We urge members the Board of Pharmacy to continue in that tradition, not take steps backwards by allowing pharmacists to refuse to fill valid prescriptions based on personal, non-medical judgments.
At today’s meeting two members of the Board of Pharmacy, Donna Dokter, Pharmacist of Seattle and Susan Teil Boyer, Pharmacist of Tacoma, made very clear that protecting patient access to prescriptions was not their top priority. Both voted against a draft rule that would have required pharmacists to fill valid, legal prescriptions without delay. Dokter, addressing the issue of rural access to medications, asserted more than once that patients in rural areas of the state probably do not and should not expect the same standard of pharmacy care that patients in more urban areas receive.
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To take action on this issue click here.
To view the Board of Pharmacy's proposed rule click here.
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