All the Drugs

Credit: erix! / photo on flickr

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled pharmacies in Washington state must stock and dispense "morning after" birth control. The court upheld a requirement by the Washington State Board of Pharmacy that all pharmacies must dispense all drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The rule had been challenged by the Christian owner of an Olympia pharmacy who said that forcing him to sell drugs he believed to be abortifacient violated his religious freedom.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

In addition, the court said referrals [to nearby pharmacies carrying the drug] "could lead to feelings of shame in the patient that could dissuade her from obtaining emergency contraception altogether."

Freedom of Religion versus Freedom from Shame. I guess that was inevitable.

[Radioactive]

of course there's also "Freedom from being so stupid as to go to bed with that loser in the first place" but let's not dwell on that

[Mr Drew]

Let's forget the religion angle for a moment. The mere idea that if you own a certain kind of store you must, by law, carry a certain array of products is on its face, ludicrous.

I want to pass a law that says everyone with any kind of business license must carry some product I make in stock at all times.

[Free Society]

I want to pass a law that says everyone with any kind of business license must carry some product I make in stock at all times.

Well then lobby to get some of your former employees, friends and investors jobs at the FDA to make such mandates. That's why the FDA exists after all.

[Lord at War]

Damn straight!

I will expect a bacon cheeseburger on my next visit to a kosher deli...

[Robert]

How many pharmacies have enough stock space to carry all drugs?

[Harvard]

Indeed. Does this mean that all chemotherapy drugs are available at your local CVS? Hawzchit, methinks.

[Robert]

Years ago I thought states might do well to produce a showdown with the feds by a means in which unfortunately pharmacies & patients would be pawns: requiring pharmacies to stock med mj. Then we'd see who'd blink first between the feds & state threatening to shut all pharmacies in the state.

[Hank Phillips]

That's rich! These pulpit-thumping bigots successfully used superstitious coercion to ban condoms for half a century, cheer when prohibition agents murder unarmed citizens, demanded the death sentence for drugs they deem reminiscent of Demonic Possession--all of this in flagrant violation of the Constitution. The First Amendment protects the "free exercise" of mystical self-deception, and gives no license for alienated altruism as an excuse for coercion and murder. Current videos of identical ideologies beheading civilians, mutilating women and stoning them to death show where the unfree exercise of superstitious brainwashing simply has to lead.

[LarryA]

where the unfree exercise of superstitious brainwashing simply has to lead

Yes, where it always leads. "The court ruled our way so now we're in charge and we're going to do unto them the way they did unto us."

Unfortunately neither side learns the lesson. The pendulum swings. If you don't want government making you do stuff you disagree with, don't give it the power to make other people do stuff.

[KerryW]

Mr Drew: "Let's forget the religion angle for a moment. The mere idea that if you own a certain kind of store you must, by law, carry a certain array of products is on its face, ludicrous.

I want to pass a law that says everyone with any kind of business license must carry some product I make in stock at all times."

This. The court's argument doesn't make sense, at least not in a free society (I know, we're not anywhere near a free society).

Maybe if the FDA ever OKs cannabis oil as a medicine, they will force all pharmacies to stock it...

[Bubba Jones]

There are lots of meds my local Walgreens doesn't stock.