CVS apologizes after a transgender woman declared that she was denied a prescription for hormones

CVS Health apologizes to a transgender woman who is denied a prescription for hormones by a pharmacist in the pharmacy chain. The company apologized Friday on social media, noting that the pharmacist is no longer employed by CVS.

Hilde Hall, who lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona, was "delighted" to fill her first hormonal prescription after leaving her medical office In April, she wrote on a blog posted Thursday on the ACLU's website

"I was finally going to start seeing my body reflect my gender identity and the woman I always knew myself," Hall writes. 19659003] She said when she gave her three prescriptions to the pharmacist, he refused to fill one of the drugs without giving a clear reason for the refusal. The pharmacist "kept asking, loud and in front of other employees and customers of CVS, why I was being given prescriptions," Hall writes.

Hall said that she was mortified and anxious, adding that the pharmacist would not hand over the "

" If there is a case where a pharmacist is convinced that he does not can not execute a prescription, he must act immediately to ensure that someone else Steve Kilar, ACLU of Arizona Communications Manager, told the affiliate CBS Arizona KPHO

Arizona is one of six states that allow pharmacies and pharmacists to refuse to take certain medications – usually those related to emergency contraception. – for religious or moral reasons. Arizona has a law to protect health professionals who choose not to participate in practices or procedures related to abortion because of their personal beliefs, notes KPHO.

Last month in Arizona, a pharmacist from Walgreens refused a prescription from a woman to terminate her pregnancy after a doctor told her that the fetus was no longer viable, reported KPHO. The pharmacist said that it was contrary to his personal beliefs.

"There is no similar law in Arizona that allows pharmacists to refuse a service related to other drugs," Kilar told the station. Statement on social media about the incident, saying that the conduct of the pharmacist "violated company policies and does not reflect our values ​​or our commitment to inclusion, non-discrimination and providing exceptional care to patients. "

CVS Health also stated that he was "very proud" of have achieved a perfect score on the Equality Index of Human Rights Campaign Enterprises for the last four consecutive years. "We also apologize for failing to properly follow Ms. Hall's initial complaint to CVS, which was due to involuntary negligence," the company said in its statement. We are proud to respond to customer concerns in a timely manner and we take steps to prevent this isolated event from happening again.

Hall ended up having her prescription filled at a local Walgreens, where the drug was filled without, "she wrote.Since her story was posted on the ACLU website, Hall spoke to a CVS representative of the incident.