Missouri Bill Would Force Pharmacists to Dispense Morning After Pills 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 3, 2006
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) — A bill proposed by a pro-abortion lawmakers in Missouri would force pro-life pharmacists to dispense all legal drugs, including the morning after pill, which can sometimes cause an abortion. The measure would also require pharmacies to have the drug on hand and require hospitals to make it available to rape victims.
“It says that every licensed pharmacy would have to make sure that a patient’s prescription would get filled,” said Sen. Joan Bray, a St. Louis Democrat sponsoring the measure.
“Any woman who is a rape victim and goes to an emergency room would have to be told that there is emergency contraception available," she added.
The Missouri affiliate of NARAL says it conducted a survey in the state and found 44 percent of pharmacies do not stock the Plan B pills and that most refuse because they have moral objections to the drug.
Other pharmacies told the pro-abortion group that there is a lack of demand for the morning after pill or that they could not easily obtain the drugs from a wholesaler.
According to the study, just 10 percent of pharmacies in rural areas stock the drug.
Rep. Robin Wright Jones, also a Democrat from St. Louis, has introduced a similar bill in the House.
Those bills will compete for attention with legislation Gov. Matt Blunt wants to see introduced that would protect pharmacies from discriminating against pro-life pharmacists and others who have moral or religious objections to dispensing the Plan B pills.
Blunt wants legislation that would hold accountable those pharmacies that are "refusing to hire, discriminating against, segregating or terminating a pharmaceutical professional because of their opposition to any service involving a particular drug or device that they have a good faith belief is used for abortion.”
Rep. Bryan Stevenson and Sen. Jason Crowell, both Republicans, have introduced legislation pursuing those goals.
Ron Fitzwater, chief executive officer of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, indicated his group supports their efforts.
"We are supportive of the intent of the legislation to give pharmacists the right to choose what they stock,” he said.
TAKE ACTION: Contact your state lawmakers and tell them you support a pharmacist’s conscience rights. Let them know which set of bills you support and which you oppose. You can find contact info for legislators at https://www.moga.mo.gov.
