WI court upholds pharmacist reprimand

In one of the first incidents in the country in which a court has ruled on the issue, a Wisconsin panel of judges upheld a reprimand on a pharmacist who refused to fill a birth control prescription and found that he "... abandoned even the steps necessary to perform in a minimally competent manner under any standard of care."

In the summer of 2002, a University of Wisconsin-Stout student, named Amanda, walked into a Kmart pharmacy to fill her prescription for oral contraceptives. The pharmacist on duty, Neil Noeson, not only refused to fill Amanda's prescription, but he also refused to tell Amanda where she could get the prescription filled. When Amanda went to another pharmacy to fill her prescription, Noeson refused to transfer the prescription citing his personal beliefs.

While the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board originally issued a reprimand to Noeson, Noeson appealed on the basis of a "right of conscience" to religiously oppose birth control. The court's decision ensures that Noeson's reprimand is upheld.

Read more: "Druggist sanctioned for refusal to sell "morning after" pill," Associated Press, 3.25.2008.

Technorati tags: pharmacist refusal, birth control, Planned Parenthood of Illinois