AllHealthcare

Should pharmacists be able to say "no"? Who should allow the pharmacists to object on moral grounds (the government? The pharmacy owner? The state?)? And where do we draw the line - contraception, morning-after pill - on what drugs a pharmacist can refuse to dispense?



Read more about pharmacists' right of refusal in this article: When Pharmacists Say "No"

I was in a very bad car accident. I rolled my car three times. I was prescribed a pain medication from my doctor. The pain was terrible. My sister went to CVS pharmacy here in PA. She gave the pharmacy the script from my doctor. They filled it. Just before they gave it to her, they asked her what it was for. She told them ( like it was any of their business) and the pharmacist wouldn't give the medication to her. When she asked them why, he told here he doesn't give pain medication to car accident victims. She got it filled at her hometown pharmacy. When I called CVS headquarters, they told me it was the pharmacist discression what medication he wants to dispence and who he wants to dispence it to. I couldn't believe what I was told. A pharmacist has made a decision for me (whom he doesn't even know) over my phycisian. Who gave them that power?

As a pharmacist who works nights, I see a lot of drug seekers, some who have various alias's. A lot of doctor's post date rx's which technically makes them illegal.  I do not refuse to fill them, but the patient must wait until the doctors is in the office.  If th rx is not from the ER, there is no way he/she wrote them at 12:01AM.  When the insurance companies do audits, they do look at the dates on the rx's and the times filled.  They take back total payment on the rx's  filled when the MD was not in the office overnight.  I also have a hard time telling someone over the phone if we have CII drugs if they cannot give me a patient name or doctor it was written by.  As for the morning after pill, I find it a little disturbing that it is sold OTC.  I firmly believe it should be available at a doctors office only, even if it is sold openly there.  Yes, we are not doctors, but then maybe only doctors should sell it due to side effects, misuse,etc.  I see someone using it on a weekly basis. Is it safe for her physically?  A doctor could keep track of it and suggest something else.  I also struggle morally every time I sell it without an rx.  It is very stressing to me.  And no, I will not consider another career.  I am goood at what I do.  I just do not believe professionally that this was ever the right route for selling Plan B OTC.

No.  As healthcare PROFESSIONALS we need to be professional.  We give COMPLETE information to patients and leave the decisions to the patients, no matter what our personal opinion of that path is (expressing our person dislike of a treatment might be acceptable, such as, "I personally wouldn't take that route" or "I personally don't feel that is the best way to go for the long run...")  Likewise, pharmacists should dispense any medication for which a patient holds an authentic, legal prescription.  They may express opinions of the medication, report suspected abuse, etc.  I don't think it is within their scope of practice to judge the decisions of the doctor and/or patient.  They may not be aware of ALL the factors involved in this decision.

I have had this happen more times then I can count. It is frustrating. I have a medical condition where I have a prescription, The order is written take 1-2 ever 4-6 hours. Badly written, My doctor knows that I take the 2 Q4 which means In 8 days I will need a refill, yet when I call, I will be told I am calling too soon, I was told my one lady that she did not feel right about filling my meds. and refused.. I then had to get the pharacist that I had already spoken to. She did an over ride. and I was able to get it. Yet the next time. I went through the very same thing.. and the next.. So finally I had to have the doctor re-write the script so that I did not have to go through all the crap. Every time I would have to have them pull the copy of the script to look at it. Every time I would get treated like I was a piece of trash. I explained that this is the only presciption that I have at this pharmacy, all of my others are at CVS.. But this certain one from CVS I can not swallow. I then told them should they feel the need to withhold my meds again I will pull it and put it at CVS with the rest of my meds. I can choke it down. But I agree, If they can not fill a med because of moral issues, they need to be in another line of work. If they want to judge patients, they also need to be in another line of work, there is no diagnosis written on a scipt. I have had many RUDE people at this one pharmacy.. I do not take Rude people well.

I think religion and morals should not be included in a pharmacists decision at all. I agre with Mary43 apharmacist is not the doctor. If the pharmacist can make the decision why have a doctor. Dispense meds thats it or go to med school and become one.

I sincerely disagreed that a pharmacist should refuse to dispense based on contradictions to his moral or religious belief. Whereas the proffessional ethics required him to use medical judgement vis a vis the  dosages, indications ,contraindication and adverse side effects to influence judgement . And lastly issues of the medical parameters that may augment or enhance contraindication or aggravate ontowards effects are factors that should be given due consideration ahead of others.

Also to those who could not understand the difference  between pharmacist and Doctor. I will o categorically mention here that the role of pharmacist is not only that of physically dishing out medications, that even in the advance contries Doctors are the custodian of the knowledge of diseases while pharmacist is the custodian of the knowledge of medicament.

Mission Statement for Pharmacist is to fill prescriptions a patient's Doctor writes.  Any questions about said prescriptions?   The Pharmacist should call the prescibing physician.   To get too in depth with  patients is unprofessional and certainly an infringment on a patients confidentiality.  Some patients may have a terminal disease and I do not think a Pharmacist needs to  know all the details of said patients diagnoses.

Funny I notice CVS is doing alot of refusals.   It is time for someone to check in on CVS.   They do not have the right to refuse presciptions that are approved by DR's.   If their beliefs are interferring their jobs  I agree with another person, it is time to find another job that goes along with their job.   To decline a medication from a person when it could be life and death or a birth control pill from a person would be consider unethical.   What if the women was raped and needed the pill to abort - it is wrong to decline that pill!   Would you men keep a baby that you concieved from a person who raped you?  Time to think about that huh?!