« Law - "Federal regulators have proposed requiring the alcoholic-beverage industry to put nutrition and alcohol-content labels on their containers" | Main | Ind. Courts - Two magistrates eyeing spot on the Vanderburgh bench »

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Ind. Law - More on: "This bill puts a pharmacist's individual beliefs above a patient's needs"

Updating this ILB entry from Jan. 10th on SB 3, Lesley Stedman Weidenbener of the Louisville Courier Journal reports today:

The Senate yesterday voted down an amendment that would have clarified whether contraceptives are among the drugs that pharmacists could refuse to dispense under so-called "conscience clause" legislation.

Senate Bill 3, which is now ready for a Senate vote, would give pharmacists the right -- without fear of punishment by employers -- to refuse to dispense drugs that they believe will be used to abort a pregnancy or commit suicide.

Opponents say the bill would go much further by allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense emergency contraception and even birth-control pills.

Perhaps the bill should be amended to require that each pharmacy prominently post a list of their pharmacists, when they are on duty, and what they are willing and not willing to dispense, and also make this information available by phone, so that people seeking to get prescriptions filled do not waste time.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 23, 2008 08:18 AM
Posted to Indiana Law