New law requires pharmacists to either fill ‘morning-after’
request or refer to another pharmacy
Pharmacists in South Valley and Hollister are grappling with a
moral dilemma
– do they fill so-called
”
morning after
”
contraception prescriptions and violate their own personal
tenants, or refuse to fill them and violate the health needs of
patients and their doctors.
Compounding the issue is confusion about what morning-after
pills, also called Plan B, do when taken (see related story). Plan
B is not an abortion pill, a common misnomer that consumers often
confuse with RU-486, which will prompt an abortion of a fetus.
New law requires pharmacists to either fill ‘morning-after’ request or refer to another pharmacy
Pharmacists in South Valley and Hollister are grappling with a moral dilemma – do they fill so-called “morning after” contraception prescriptions and violate their own personal tenants, or refuse to fill them and violate the health needs of patients and their doctors.
Compounding the issue is confusion about what morning-after pills, also called Plan B, do when taken (see related story). Plan B is not an abortion pill, a common misnomer that consumers often confuse with RU-486, which will prompt an abortion of a fetus.
Plan B contains a higher dose of the same hormone used in regular birth control pills, which works by either not allowing an egg to attach to the uterine wall or by interrupting normal ovulation. It should be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex but is most effective in preventing pregnancy when taken within the first 24 hours.
In Morgan Hill, Walgreen’s has a certified pharmacist that will issue prescriptions for the drug. In Gilroy the same is true for Target Pharmacy, and in Hollister Nob Hill Foods/Whapples Pharmacy has at least one certified pharmacist capable of issuing prescriptions, according to the Emergency Contraception website, www.Echelp.org, which has listings for pharmacies that offer morning-after contraceptives in every California city.
Beginning January 1, 2006, state bill AB-644 becomes effective. The bill attempts to balance the ethical rights of pharmacists with the needs of patients. Should a woman request the drug from a pharmacist, that person must fill the prescription, refer the person to another pharmacist that will help them, or give the prescription back and direct that person to another pharmacy so that they can get the prescription filled in a timely manner.
“The state is currently silent on the issue; this act addresses that,” Katie Desmond, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte chapter in San Jose said. “I wouldn’t say that this is a pandemic, but anytime people are refused access to a drug it’s a huge problem, so it’s great to be getting this act passed.”
The intention of the bill is not to impede on the rights of pharmacists, but rather make it easier for women to access medications based on their personal needs by setting a protocol for how women can get prescriptions from a pharmacy, Desmond said.
The interest of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is to respect the integrity of all pharmacists throughout California, while still ensuring easy access to all drugs is maintained, according to Michael Negrete, a spokesperson for the pharmacists association. The group has been working with a handful of Planned Parenthood providers to create a situation where state approved policies are upheld and pharmacists, under the guidance and training in specific policies and procedures are allowed to prescribe the contraceptive.
But easy access is not always the case.
Pennywise Drugs in Hollister does not carry morning after contraceptives. When contacted by The Sunday Pinnacle, the pharmacist, who did not give his name or express why the pharmacy does not carry the drugs, gave a referral to another drugstore that might carry them.
Sav-On Drugs in Hollister does carry the contraceptive, but the pharmacist who confirmed this information refused to be quoted and referred the newspaper to the pharmacy manager who was not available until after press time.
Wal-mart, one of the largest pharmacies in this area does not sell morning after contraception. According to the company’s media relations representative, the company does not carry RU-486. However, when it was explained to him that Plan B was different from RU-486, he still said the company does not stock the drug.
But another option for locating the drug is Planned Parenthood. There are two satellite locations in Hollister where morning-after contraception can be purchased in addition to the main location in Gilroy. Pharmacists have the ability to prescribe the drug, not just doctors, Desmond said.
Emergency contraception is rapidly becoming wider available to the masses and while a prescription is still necessary, regulations are proposed to make the contraceptive devise available over the counter.
Plan B has been available by prescription since 1999, but a decision on over-the-counter sales remains in regulatory limbo after another round of delays earlier this year by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Despite the fact that the FDA is pushing to get the drug over-the-counter availability, this is contrary to the liking of some pharmacists who have gone so far as to go against corporate policies for issuing the drug.
Planned Parenthood conducted tests, none of which were in Santa Clara or San Benito counties and discovered that of 11 pharmacies tested, four refused to issue the drug.
“As a result of those tests, we recognized there was a problem with women being refused access to the drug,” Desmond said.
