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An Arizona woman criticized Walgreens on social media, claiming that a chain pharmacist had refused to prescribe medication prescribed to cause miscarriage after she had been told that her nine-week-old fetus had stopped growing.
Walgreens says that this allows pharmacists to not fill out a prescription "for which they have a moral objection," but that they must "refer the prescription to another pharmacist or service manager to meet the patient's needs in a timely manner. timely. " The woman, Nicole Mone Arteaga, said that she was later able to take her prescription from another Walgreens store.
In a 1-star review from Yelp of the Walgreens branch in Peoria, Arizona, where she first tried to collect her medication Thursday, Arteaga said she had dropped her prescription on Wednesday and went to pick up the drug the next day. She said her doctor was closely monitoring her pregnancy because of previous miscarriages.
"Every week I went to get my ultra-sound, praying to see the progress and to hear the sound of the little heartbeat, unfortunately there is no development and my body is slowly getting ready to My doctor (doctor) has given me two D & C choices or a prescription that will help induce bleeding and wasting in the comfort of my home, "she writes.
"D & C", also known as dilation and curettage, is a surgical procedure for removing tissue from the uterus. In the case of a fetus that does not grow, it is used to prevent infection or heavy bleeding.
Walgreens apologize
Walgreens said Monday in a statement that it was studying the issue "to ensure that our patients' needs are being treated properly".
"After learning what happened, we reached out to the patient and apologized for the way the situation was handled, to respect the sincere beliefs of our pharmacists while meeting the needs of our patients. our policy allows pharmacists to not fill out a prescription for which they have a moral objection, while at the same time they are required to refer the prescription to another pharmacist or manager on duty to meet the patient's needs in a timely manner ", said Walgreens in a statement sent to CNN.
"I left Walgreens in tears"
"Last night, I went to get my medicine from my local Walgreens to be denied the prescription I needed. I stood at the mercy of this pharmacist who explained my situation to my seven-year-old son and five customers who stood behind to be refused because of his ethical convictions, "she wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
"I understand that we all have our beliefs, but what he did not understand is that it's not the situation I had hoped for, this n & # 39; It's not something I wanted, it's something I have no control over. "
In comments on CNN, Arteaga said that she felt a sense of helplessness when the pharmacist said that he was not going to fill the prescription.
"The world seemed to be getting closer and I thought, it's my body and I'm losing control," she said.
"I could not control the fact that my body would not support this pregnancy, and I wanted this baby, I could not control what my body was doing and now I'm trying to make my decision and this that I am going to do, and this person has removed me and made that choice for me.
Arteaga described her miscarriage as an emotional roller coaster and stated that the pharmacist had "no idea what it was like to want nothing more than to carry a child to term and be incapable to do."
"I left Walgreens in tears, shamed and humiliated by a man who knows nothing of my difficulties but who feels that he has the right to refuse the medications prescribed by my doctor," she said. said.
Arteaga said that she would not generally share such a story but did not want other women to have the same experience both "when you are vulnerable and you are already suffering."
In an update to her post, Arteaga said that she later received an email notification that her prescription was ready at another Walgreens location. She said that she had collected it after first consulting her doctor to make sure that it could help her to complete the scenario.
Arteaga said he spoke to a store manager "who did not seem happy about what had happened" and had also contacted Walgreens' head office.
"I have filed a complaint with the Arizona Board of Pharmacy.At this moment, I have done what I can to report the situation.Thank you to those who have shown love and support ", did she say.
On Monday morning, his message had been shared more than 30,000 times and loved more than 55,000 times.
Walgreens Policy
On Twitter, a user asked Walgreens Saturday: "What is your policy regarding the distribution of prescribed medications?" (Does) your pharmacists have the right to refuse service based on their religious beliefs? Do they work for Walgreens or for them? yourself? "
The channel tweeted in response: "Our policy allows pharmacists to not fill out an order for which they have a moral objection. At the same time, they are also required to refer the prescription to another pharmacist or manager on duty to meet the patient's needs in a timely manner. "
Arizona is one of six states where pharmacists can refuse to issue emergency contraceptive medications.
According to state law, pharmacies in Arizona must require employees to inform them of medications that they would refuse to fill due to "sincere religious beliefs".
"Upon receipt of this notice, the pharmacy must attempt to accommodate the employee if accommodation can be done without causing undue hardship to the pharmacy or its clients.
If clients ask for drugs that are not in stock, the pharmacy must make efforts to ensure that the script is completed in a timely manner.
"A pharmacy must treat each client with respect and dignity, make good faith efforts not to embarrass or belittle the client and attempt to ensure a seamless delivery of prescription services …", says the law.
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