It’s no longer a “what if” situation — at least one frantic rape victim (we know of), now has been denied emergency contraception by a so-called “activist” pharmacist, forcing his religious views on another woman’s medical care.
And it’s a nasty situation also coming soon to your local market, if it hasn’t already.
Along with the pharmacist who denies you — or your wife, your daughter, your mother, your best friend — her birth control bills.
Because this particular assault from the religious right on a rape victim happened in a Tuscon Fry’s, which is owned by Kroger, which sanctions the actions of that pharmacist and also owns all of the below markets.
Which means you can be denied medical care by any of these markets:
Fry’s, Kroger, Ralph’s, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, QFC Quality Food Centers, Baker’s, Cala Foods, Bell Markets, Owen’s, JayC Food Stores, Hillander, Pay Less Super Market, Gerbe’s, Food4Less, Foods Company, Fred Meyer, Turkey Hill, KwikShop, Loaf’nJug, QuickStop, Tom Thumb
Tell Krogers, that you will no longer shop at a market that would deny you — or anyone — necessary health care:
http://www.thekrogerco.com/contact/contactus_form.htm
You’ll may hear back from a.hanner@kroger.com who will huff about Kroger’s supposed “legal and moral obligation to respect the right of our employees to refrain from filling a prescription that violates their individual moral, ethical or religious beliefs.” But notice that Kroger’s doesn’t feel that they have a legal and moral obligation to respect their customers’ religious beliefs — or health care.
And although that was not the experience of the Tuscon rape victim, Krogers claims that “Any pharmacist who chooses not to fill a prescription for legitimate religious moral or ethical reasons MUST arrange for our patient to be served by passing the prescription to another pharmacist on duty or by calling in that prescription to another pharmacy.”
No, that rape victim had spent three days frantically contacting every pharmacy in Tuscon — most of which didn’t carry emergency contraception. And closing in on the deadline for the effectiveness of emergency contraception, found it at Fry’s — only to be denied service by their pharmacist.
Since when does your local market have the right to deny you health care? It seems to me that Freedom of Religion, also includes the right to be free from having another’s religion impign on my health and well-being.
http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/dailystar/99156.php