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I know many of my followers are pro-choice activists, so I’d like to know: Was there something that spurred you into action?
For me, it was one day working in pharmacy, almost 20 years ago. It was about an hour before closing, & I was working with an older relief
For me, it was one day working in pharmacy, almost 20 years ago. It was about an hour before closing, & I was working with an older relief
pharmacist when a woman called, asking if we had misoprostol in stock. She had called around & couldn’t find any; the pharmacist confirmed we had lots (we had at least 6x100 tab bottles).
The woman came in about 20 minutes later & gave me the script.
The woman came in about 20 minutes later & gave me the script.
I processed it & filled it. I noticed at the bottom the doctor had written it was for an incomplete miscarriage.
Misoprostol causes uterine contractions & is the standard medical management for incomplete miscarriage if surgical management is undesired or cannot be provided.
Misoprostol causes uterine contractions & is the standard medical management for incomplete miscarriage if surgical management is undesired or cannot be provided.
After passing the Rx to the pharmacist to check, he passed it back to me, telling me he wasn’t dispensing it. I asked him what was wrong. He said nothing, he’s not dispensing it & to give her the script back. I asked what I’m supposed to say to her; he told me to tell her we
don’t have it in stock. I reminded him that she called & he confirmed we had plenty. He said to tell her it was all expired. At that point, I had enough. I knew why he wasn’t dispensing it. I put my foot down and told him that I wasn’t going to lie to a patient for him, he could
lie himself. So he gave her the script back, and she started crying, confused, asking, “Why? But you told me...” And he just walked away from her, sat down & went back to reading his book. She looked at me, & I went over to her, telling her I would call some more pharmacies.
Mind you, at this time it was almost 9pm & most stores were closing. I found a nearby pharmacy that had misoprostol, & I asked the pharmacist if she had any problems dispensing it for an incomplete miscarriage. She said no problem, & agreed to stay open until the patient arrived.
The patient thanked me through her tears, still confused as to why we wouldn’t fill her Rx. My professional code of ethics prevented me from telling her why the pharmacist wouldn’t dispense the script, but I gave her the phone number to our regulatory body.
& urged her to call & file a complaint. She thanked me again & left to get her Rx filled.
When I got home that night, I emailed our regulatory college & filled a complaint about the pharmacist. I explained everything that happened, including how he failed to refer the patient
When I got home that night, I emailed our regulatory college & filled a complaint about the pharmacist. I explained everything that happened, including how he failed to refer the patient
to another pharmacy, told me to lie, & lied to the patient. I was livid.
Oh, btw. Did I mention how he dispensed Viagra to a 90 year old widower that same shift, no questions asked?
You bet your ass I put that in my complaint!
Oh, btw. Did I mention how he dispensed Viagra to a 90 year old widower that same shift, no questions asked?
You bet your ass I put that in my complaint!
The next day I got a call from one of the women on the Disciplinary Committee. They had read the complaint & were PISSED. She noted the hypocrisy of dispensing Viagra but not misoprostol.
They told me there would be an investigation, but as those proceedings are confidential,
They told me there would be an investigation, but as those proceedings are confidential,
I wouldn’t get any information about them.
Fine by me, as long as he gets a talking to.
About a year later through the pharmacy grapevine, I heard he was charged with professional misconduct, breach of ethics & failure to uphold the standards of practice (or something like
Fine by me, as long as he gets a talking to.
About a year later through the pharmacy grapevine, I heard he was charged with professional misconduct, breach of ethics & failure to uphold the standards of practice (or something like
that). He got a 6 month license suspension, a monetary fine, had to take an ethics class at his own expense, & reimburse the College for the cost of the proceedings.
OCP does not fool around.
OCP does not fool around.
Then I heard he was in the hospital after having a major heart attack.
All I could think was, “I hope someone refuses to provide you with needed medication based on their own beliefs & puts YOUR life at risk, buddy!”
The moral of this paragraph: Everyone’s a patient eventually!
All I could think was, “I hope someone refuses to provide you with needed medication based on their own beliefs & puts YOUR life at risk, buddy!”
The moral of this paragraph: Everyone’s a patient eventually!
So, thanks to an old misogynistic jerk who risked a woman’s health & life, & the wonderful response from my regulatory board, I was jolted into becoming a reproductive rights activist.
What’s your story?
What’s your story?
