Refusing EHC Supply

[Universal Angel]

I work in a different shop practically every day, and the staff often mention that many locums refuse to supply EHC on moral grounds.
There was no discussion of this at University, and I am unsure of the exact reasons that technically and morally differentiate EHC from a daily pill.
I believe in God and an afterlife, and would like to discontinue future supplies if I can understand EHC to be unethical.
Can any pharmacists share their reasons for refusal of EHC supply?

[gaby]

Personally I believe all medical professionals should not refuse to supply something due to their own religious beliefs.

[Jeff]

I work in a different shop practically every day, and the staff often mention that many locums refuse to supply EHC on moral grounds.
There was no discussion of this at University, and I am unsure of the exact reasons that technically and morally differentiate EHC from a daily pill.
I believe in God and an afterlife, and would like to discontinue future supplies if I can understand EHC to be unethical.
Can any pharmacists share their reasons for refusal of EHC supply?

I personally have no problem with supply - but for the individual pharmacist it depends at what point they believe human life begins. If you believe that life begins with fertilisation then EHC may act to prevent a fertilised egg implanting or possibly expell an implanted egg. (we don't actually KNOW how it works)

If you decide against supply you are still obliged to signpost to another practitioner who will supply.. If you find that morally indefensible (as I would IF I thought EHC was wrong) then save your soul and find another profession.

Jeff

[admin]

Personally I have no trouble with supplying it, and I don't know of anyone who refuses it either. I also think that most of the worlds problems are from over population of the planet, and therefore feel it stops a lot of unwanted children being born every year, before they've even been made.

If you don't know how the different pills work, then you should have paid more attention in pharmacology class!

You have to inform the customer where they can get it anyway, so what's the difference?

Personally, I wonder if anyone has ever refused to supply premarin because of the horses used in it's manufacture?

Then again, if you had extreme animal rights views, you wouldn't be a pharmacist would you!

[Jeff]

Personally, I wonder if anyone has ever refused to supply premarin because of the horses used in it's manufacture?

No - but I have pointed out the controversy over it's manufacture to those who I believed might wish to change because of it.
(i.e. allegations of cruelty to the horses)

Jeff

[admin]

No - but I have pointed out the controversy over it's manufacture to those who I believed might wish to change because of it.
(i.e. allegations of cruelty to the horses)

Jeff

Here's a tip for you Jeff - don't do that at Moss (Alliance now I guess) as I know someone who went straight from zero to a final written warning because one customer told her GP that this pharmacist had upset her when she found out about the horse cruelty. The GP complained to Moss, and they are the kind of company that when a Dr says "jump" they say "how high".

This pharmacist was told he couldn't tell anyone the contents or manufacturing process around any product. Obviously they pointed out examples like "what if a muslim woman came in, and didn't realise that the porcine insulin she had been prescribed was made from pork". They were told not to mention anything, unless directly asked. Obviously the pharmacist moved on to another company.

This happened to a pharmacist who had worked for them for over 7 years, so beware!

[Linnear]

One shop where I used to work had a woman that drove me mad.

Typical tree-hugger. Wore anti-vivisection badges and often tried to distribute anti-vivisection leaflets in the pharmacy.

Thing was she was on a list of drugs as long as your arm!
I was so tempted to say "Sorry, I can't supply your drugs as I believe that it would contravene your beliefs!"

Don't get me wrong I believe everyone is entitled to believe whatever the hell they want but when they try to force it down your throat but don't have the courage to follow their convictions it gets me mad!


Did you hear that one of the activists that dug up the grandmother of the place that bred guinea pigs for testing got breast cancer? She opted for Tamoxifen and everything else straight away.

And PETA the American animal activist group that don't even believe in having pets tells people that they should do away with all medicine that requires animals to produce. One of their execs has Diabetes but apparently its better that she uses the unethical insulin so that she can fight for other animals' rights!

Know what I think? B*LL*CKS!!!!

[admin]

Linnear

You are so funny you make me laugh a lot. My sisters favourite saying is "tree hugger".

I saw the programme about the guinea pig farm, and how they dug up the grandmother - weird or what! The guinea pigs will still be supplied from somewhere, so them getting the place shut down wouldn't really be a victory for them.

Did a woman from the group really get breast cancer - you're not thinking of Linda McCartney are you!

Personally I don't like the whole animal thing, but accept it has to happen. I have helped in some experiments using hairless mice (I can explain more if you'd like me to) when I was a technician in industry, but I couldn't work in a pharmacology lab myself.

I think the way forward is to work on things like computer modelling etc as alternatives to using animals. I know I could never get any of my rabbit illium etc to work in those organ baths at Uni, but my frog thing worked ok on the computer!

I admit I don't like the whole premarin thing, and think it's manufacture is unnecessary. I don't refuse to supply it though.

I think you have to have balance in these things. I basically don't like unnecessary cruelty, to animals or to people. Well ok, some people.....

[Linnear]

My missus has a sign off for one of her forums:

Some people are like slinkies. Not much use but fun to push down the stairs!

I saw a T shirt the other day that said:

Some people are only alive because it's illegal to kill them!


Almost as good as my "Dip me in chocolate and feed me to the lesbians!"

[Universal Angel]

for the individual pharmacist it depends at what point they believe human life begins. If you believe that life begins with fertilisation then EHC may act to prevent a fertilised egg implanting or possibly expell an implanted egg.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, that's actually helped a lot. I've never actually considered the possibility that the soul could enter at the fertilised egg stage, simply because two tiny cells seem so far removed from the finished product!
However, just thinking it through now, I've realised through logical extrapolation how life does begin at fertilisation. A foetus of any age would not be able to survive on it's own without the mother's body, but then a baby is not designed to survive without it's mother once it has been born...
In fact it seems to be one of those things that the pharmaceutical companies would rather the masses didn't ponder on, and they use jargon to hide the truth;
"War" and "terror" produce the same end result, and today, I find "abortion" and "EHC" both allow the perpetrators to murder a soul, to whom they promised a chance at life....

[admin]

My missus has a sign off for one of her forums:

Some people are like slinkies. Not much use but fun to push down the stairs!

I saw a T shirt the other day that said:

Some people are only alive because it's illegal to kill them!


Almost as good as my "Dip me in chocolate and feed me to the lesbians!"

Hell you are funny! I wish I lived in cornwall so we could go for a pint!

[Jeff]

I find "abortion" and "EHC" both allow the perpetrators to murder a soul, to whom they promised a chance at life....

Now while i disagree with you on both counts - I respect your right to hold a different view.
You are still faced with the obligation to signpost patients to another practitioner who doesn't hold your views.
Can you - in good concience - do so?

Jeff

[admin]

Jeff also said: -

If you decide against supply you are still obliged to signpost to another practitioner who will supply.. If you find that morally indefensible (as I would IF I thought EHC was wrong) then save your soul and find another profession.

So are you going to do the honourable thing and leave pharmacy? After all, your religious beliefs don't allow you to supply most pills, EHC, and your animal views don't allow you to supply any drug, do they?

If you feel so strongly about animal welfare, why did you choose to work in a job that every single drug you dispense or sell has been tested on animals? Doesn't looking at all those boxes and thinking of all the animals that died to put them there drive you crazy all day long?

[kemzero]

Personally I believe all medical professionals should not refuse to supply something due to their own religious beliefs.

I agree with Gaby , regardless of religion it is the patients' choice.God has given us all free- will who are we to interfere with someone elses?..its the patients' choice not ours,we are there to provide a service not to hinder it based on our beliefs. By refusing to supply we are judging the patient ..who are we to judge the bible teaches "Judge not..." also it says let he who is without sin cast the first stone...
Let free will prevail...we will all have to give account of ourselves on judgement day (my beliefs,you don't have to agree with me and that principle should be applied to everyday life and EHC supplies!)

[admin]

I have a feeling you're gonna start her off again mentioning the God word................