Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115084

Jill C. Morrison, JD, Health and Reproductive Rights, National Women's Law Center, 11 Dupont Circle, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, 202-588-5180, jmorrison@nwlc.org

My presentation will be on how to use existing laws and policies to stop pharmacist refusals to dispense Emergency Contraception (EC) and other forms of birth control. First, I will give a quick overview of the basics of state pharmacy laws, regulations and federal and state policies concerning a pharmacist's right--or lack of a right—to refuse to dispense EC and other birth control. Then, I will discuss how advocates have been successful in procuring policy statements from Pharmacy Boards and introducing bills in state legislatures that require pharmacists to dispense all drugs, including EC, or at a minimum to meet the health care needs of all their customers. Next, I will discuss recent state legislative proposals that regulate pharmacists' right to refuse to dispense prescriptions. Finally, I will provide a synopsis of how state advocates can use existing state law and policy to fight legislative proposals that grant pharmacists the right to refuse to fill prescriptions at the expense of women's right to access legally valid prescription contraceptives.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify what pharmacy law, policy and guidance informs whether or not pharmacists have a duty to dispense/right to refuse to dispense birth control
• Identify and describe participant's own state law and policy relevant to this issue
• Construct arguments to advocate for good policies (duty to dispense birth control) and fight bad ones (right to refuse)

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation