Legal prescriptions must be filled under board's newly adopted rule
THE SEATTLE TIMES
by Carol M. Ostrom
A pharmacist who personally objects to a legal prescription, such as emergency contraception, would be required to fill it if it's in stock, or face sanctions, under a proposed rule adopted Thursday by the state Board of Pharmacy.
But the board's decision is by no means the end to the long-running controversy. Public hearings now must be held on the latest rule proposal. And chances are that many pharmacists will line up against it.
This latest proposal in the debate over the so-called Plan B emergency contraceptive was offered by Gov. Christine Gregoire's office as a carefully negotiated "compromise" and was lauded by women's-rights groups. But a last-minute word change Thursday left no compromise on the most controversial issue: whether pharmacists can refuse to fill a legal prescription for reasons of conscience or religion.
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