Refusing to Fill Prescriptions

Let me start by saying that I am not savvy whether there are laws about this. Let me also say that I am not sure how often the following scenario happens.

You are a sixteen-year-old girl. You go to your doctor who prescribes you birth control pills. When you hand the prescription to the pharmacist, he refused to fill the prescription. He says, “You’re too young to be having sex. It’s morally wrong to fill this prescription because that would be encouraging you to have sex.” No matter how much you plead with the pharmacist, he refuses to fill your prescription. You call your doctor and let her talk to the pharmacist. The pharmacist still refuses to fill your prescription.

What should be done in a situation like this? What if you were prescribed birth control as a way to help regulate your period (I have several friends who use it for just that)? Is this any of the pharmacist’s business, or should he just do his job?

I believe that it is a pharmacist’s duty to fill any and all valid prescriptions–no questions asked. When you are doing a job, you have to set your morals aside, especially when the actions in question are essentially harmless. It is none of the pharmacist’s business why birth control was prescribed. All he needs to know is the brand and the dosage.

Leave a comment telling me your thoughts.