[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: A Victory for Pharmacist First Amendment Conscience Rights in Montana!

Mon Mar 10 12:02:18 MDT 2008

*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 10 Mar 2008 AD #3
*

*A Victory for Pharmacist First Amendment Conscience Rights in Montana!*

Friday, March 07, 2008

Broadus, MT

Greetings From Broadus, MT:

I just got back home last night (Thursday) from my trip to Helena.  As 
many of you know, I was asked to go before a MT Board of Pharmacy review 
panel (on Wed. 3/5) regarding 11 complaints filed with the Board stating 
that "it is ridiculous" that I, as a pharmacist, would not carry and 
dispense oral contraceptives and emergency contraceptives and they all 
asked that I be cited for "Unprofessional Conduct". 

Although both products can act to prevent ovulation, both products also 
have post-conceptive effects that would prevent implantation if 
fertilization were to take place...so that just in and of itself is a 
moral issue regardless of a person's faith affiliation.  Many of you 
have emailed and written me and I apologize to answer in a general 
fashion but wanted to let you know how things turned out.

Much to my relief they turned out very well.  None of the complainants 
made themselves available either in person or via phone for these 
proceedings.  The Board was clear in that they only wanted to discuss 
the complaints in how they relate to current pharmacy regulation.  The 
Board thought that I had gone above and beyond in preventing trouble 
with my decision as I posted in our local paper over 2 months in advance 
of the policy change, I had written each patient, and the fact that 
those who want that type of service can still attain it though our 
county health nurse who administers the government program called Family 
Planning (not to mention availability via mail). 

The Board saw fit to dismiss all of the complaints against me and 
furthermore logged them as prejudiced.  They went on to say that they do 
not feel that it is the profession's best interest to mandate product 
availability and that they intend to leave the matter of "professional 
conscience" or product availability (like Plan B) to the MT Legislature. 

In conversation with the MT Board of Pharmacy and the MT Pharmacy 
Association they fully expect that the legislators will be called to 
consider the issues of "conscience" and the question of mandating 
product availability to come up in the 2009 legislative session.  So 
please keep those topics in mind if you happen to write or contact your 
own legislators. 

Even though I would have liked to see the Board adopt a protective 
conscience clause, I was greatly relieved at the hearing results.  Thank 
you all for your interest, your correspondence and your prayers.  Not 
only were they a great comfort to me, I can only conclude that they were 
very fruitful.

Humbly,

Yours In Christ,

John L. Lane RPh

Broadus, MT    

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PFLI PharmAid Center
pfli at pfli.org <mailto:pfli at pfli.org>
PO Box 1281
Powell, OH 43065-1281 USA
800-227-8359
www.pfli.org

PFLI supports pharmacist rights of conscience NOT to be forced to 
dispense or counsel for chemicals which violate their sincerely held 
religious, moral or ethical beliefs.  For more info see:
http://www.pfli.org/main.php?pfli=conscienceclausefaq

*** PFLI is the only pharmacy association which is exclusively pro-life.
It represents thousands of pharmacists and many lay supporters
in the USA, Canada and all around the globe. For membership info, key
PFLI texts, PFLI archives, late-breaking news, abridged newsletter excerpts
or general information, visit the PFLI web site at http://www.pfli.org.
Or e-mail us at mailto:pfli at pfli.org.

*** We do NOT send out SPAM. To subscribe to PharmFacts E-News, just 
send an e-mail with the word
"subscribe" in the subject area;  to cease your subscription (although 
we can't
imagine anyone would!) just send an e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the 
subject area, or
manage your account at: http://pfli.org/mailman/listinfo/pflienews_pfli.org

*** You may contact PFLI at any/all of the following: Pharmacists For 
Life International,
PO Box 1281, Powell, OH 43065-1281 USA,  1-800-227-8359 [US & Canada only],
 +1-740-881-5520 [voice] or +1-707-667-2447 [fax]; e-mail us at 
mailto:pfli at pfli.org.

*** You can order our publications as well as begin/renew your 
membership right on our
website at http://www.pfli.org. Click on the "PFLI Store" link on the 
toolbar and
follow the prompts! There you can also donate to PFLI as well as 
purchase a wide range of publications. 

*

*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080310/c74c3b9e/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 14952 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080310/c74c3b9e/attachment-0001.jpe 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: siren.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 9005 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080310/c74c3b9e/attachment-0002.gif 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 2923 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080310/c74c3b9e/attachment-0003.gif 