Meijer pharmacist denies Michigan woman miscarriage medication over religious beliefs

[Julian Englis]

Source: NBC News

A Michigan woman says a Meijer pharmacist denied her medication prescribed to treat her miscarriage because it was against his religious beliefs.

The Michigan branch of American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint Tuesday asking Meijer to create policy requiring pharmacists to give patients their prescriptions, regardless of the pharmacists' beliefs, after Rachel Peterson was forced to drive more than three hours to get her medication.

Peterson suffered a miscarriage in July, and her doctor prescribed her Misoprostol, which was "crucial for her to take ... in a timely manner to avoid having to undergo a more invasive surgical procedure," the ACLU's claim says. Misoprostol can also be used to induce labor, treat ulcers and terminate a pregnancy.

The pharmacist, identified by the ACLU as Richard Kalkman at the Meijer store in Petoskey, told Peterson that “as a good Catholic male,” he could not “in good conscience fill the prescription” because he thought she wanted to use it to end her pregnancy, the letter says.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/meijer-pharmacist-denies-michigan-woman-miscarriage-medication-citing-religious-beliefs-n921711

[bluestarone]

1. So tired of these fuckheads!!!

This has to end SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Xipe Totec]

2. I respect his beliefs. I think he should go to the nearest monastery

And devote himself to chants, prayers, and other useless OCD activities.

But pharmacology is not something he should practice.

[pennylane100]

5. His beliefs could have cost that woman her life.

He is certainly entitled to them but he should lose his license (if a pharmacist needs one) when he takes them to his job.

[Xipe Totec]

8. We're in violent agreement. Read the rest of my sarcastapost. nt

[OriginalGeek]

3. i hope that fucker gets fired

not your job to read minds you stupid fucking shitstain. I don't believe in god. You know what job I don't apply for? Preacher. You don't believe in abortion? Go be something that doesn't do that.

But you DO NOT get to make other people conform to your STUPID FUCKING BELIEFS!

[catbyte]

17. According to the article, he "stopped working there shortly after the July 1 incident."

They didn't say if he quit or was fired, but his Linkd In profile stated he had been there for 29 years. I didn't even know that Meijers had a pharmacy in Petoskey for that long.

[OriginalGeek]

22. well dammit, if he's already gone

who am I supposed to use all those pent up swear words on?

maybe at least he won't get another pharmacy job.

[JPK]

4. Can she sue?

Can she sue the pharmacist in civil court for any incurred medical expenses related to him playing doctor? What about Meijer? How can an employee that is getting paid to do a job refuse to do it? Can she sue him for practicing medicine without a license?

[muntrv]

6. Kalkman, quit if you object to filling "controversial" prescriptions.

[muntrv]

9. Kalkman: "My religious freedumb is more important than your medical needs."

[Initech]

7. God damn these people. God damn them to hell.

Oh and he's not a "good Catholic" by any stretch of the imagination.

[Solly Mack]

10. I hope the man gets back all the cruelty he's dealing out and I hope it happens

over and over again.

I hope it happens so often he dies a broken man, bereft of hope and in great despair.

[DownriverDem]

11. Petoskey

Petoskey is in northern Michigan (Up North). Is is a very republican part of the state. What a fool. If someone can't do their job because of their religion, then they shouldn't have that job.

[catbyte]

19. I grew up in Charlevoix, and actually Petoskey/Charlevoix is quite liberal compared to other

areas of northern Michigan. Lots of transplants from Detroit & Chicago.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. File assault charges against him.

Given the meds were needed to prevent further complications, by denying those meds to Ms. Peterson, he placed her health in jeopardy.

Legal Definition of assault. (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : the crime or tort of threatening or attempting to inflict immediate offensive physical contact or bodily harm that one has the present ability to inflict and that puts the victim in fear of such harm or contact — compare battery. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault

Wishful thinking, I know, but the time has come to stand up to these bigoted bullies and make examples out of them. I also include all those assholes who call the police because a POC decided to live his/her life in spite of the bigot's desire.

[Lars39]

13. When he's older and needs a TURP asap,

I want him in agony when a doctor tells him it’s against his religious beliefs to help him.

I am absolutely fed up with these sanctimonious shitheads trying to impose their fucked up religious beliefs on the rest of us.

[dhol82]

30. Or at least, needs to have it done without anesthesia.

[muntrv]

14. What's worse is Kalkman refused to refer it to another pharmacist at Meijer and berated Peterson.

Fire him for shitty customer service.

[workinclasszero]

15. Fire that asshole before he kills some innocent woman

And sue the hell out of Meijer IMO!

[catbyte]

16. I grew up 10 miles from Petoskey. It didn't used to be filled with nut jobs like this clown.

Shameful. She probably didn't have a paper prescription either, so she couldn't take it to another pharmacy. That's what I don't like about electronic prescriptions, If something happens at the pharmacy you designate, you're shit outta luck. He had no right to stick his self-righteous, judgmental nose where it doesn't belong. I wish she'd sue the shit out of Meijers, but it's probably not practical, especially since he's allegedly no longer working there.

[still_one]

23. Actually you should be able to. You go to different pharmacy and you ask them to transfer the

prescription from pharmacy A to pharmacy B

Problem is that it might take a day or two for the transfer to be completed, and the patient may not have a day or two

[catbyte]

24. Exactly. If you had a paper scrip, then you could just take it back and go elsewhere immediately.

[Paladin]

18. He ought to lose his licence over this travesty.

Absent the correcting of an erroneous medication being administered (that's why pharmacy is a 5-year degree), a pharmacist needs to fill the prescriptions as they are presented to them by customers. Period. Personal beliefs have no place in the process. They need to throw this guy out of the pharmacy profession, and damned quickly.

[truthisfreedom]

20. It's simple: if you can't do the job, don't take the job.

Pharmacist’s first rule: do no harm to the PATIENT.

[still_one]

21. The asshole should be fired immediately. In fact his action might have put her life in jepordy

[violetpastille]

25. In Malaysia

the Muslim women that worked in grocery stores like Cold Storage wouldn't touch alcohol or pork products.

You hold it up so that they can see they price and you put it in the bag.

The difference is that they didn't want to touch the alcohol and they didn't want to touch the pork. Other people's business is other people's business.

If you can't work your job around your beliefs you need a new job.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. If he is a Catholic before he is a pharmacist

he should be fired.

[NewEnglandAutumn]

27. He should be in jail

for practicing medicine without a license.

[workinclasszero]

43. Totally!!

[mwooldri]

28. Geesh... Are pharmacists doctors now?

Yes, a good pharmacist is a part of the medical team. If they pharmacist wanted to know what the prescription was for.... Call the doctor!

But still... Most pharmacists in that position are filling prescriptions are doing it per doctors orders... unless insurance company says otherwise. They are usually more often on the phone with the insurance company than the doctor!

[MiniMe]

29. Insurance companies have nothing to do with a prescription being filled

Only if the insurance company will pay for it. They could fill the prescription and the patient would have to pay the entire amount, the pharmacist has nothing to do with the insurance company paying. But the pharmacist should fill the prescription and leave the payment option up to the patient.

[mwooldri]

44. True... Very true.

But most of us who cannot pay the $$$$s out of pocket for drugs without insurance have a few choices... Either go back to the doctor and get the doc to write a new script for something the insurance will cover, or let the pharmacist start a process with the insurance company to get them to cover it. Sure the doctor will get involved again but it's the pharmacist that files the insurance.

But back to the main OP... The pharmacist would not know from the script what the drug is being prescribed for. What if a man came in with the script? The same medicine is used to prevent stomach ulcers. There's possibly some other off-label use for the drug too (e.g. some doctors prescribe Trazodone or Seroquel as sleep medicines, even though they are primarily mental health medicines). The pharmacist needs to fill as prescribed by the doctor.

I can see one reason why a pharmacist may refuse to fill a script based on conscience - and this is if the drugs are going to be used in an execution i.e. death row prisoner being killed by the state. Mind, this is a special case. At the very least, there should be procedures in place to allow patients to get the meds as prescribed if the medicine has the possibility of "ending life" e.g. abortion or euthanasia. For more common OB-GYN situations there should be no barriers.

[MarcA]

31. Some Doctor's Offices have a Pharmacy on site. n/t

[llmart]

32. Had he done the same with every prescription for birth control pills in the past?

If not, then what the fuck kind of Catholic is he?

That's just a convenient excuse he made up. Hope he never gets another job in any pharmacy every again. The Meijer in my neighborhood is looking for cashiers, so maybe he could do that, except for he probably wouldn't want to ring up that guy's condoms.

What a sanctimonious asshole this guy is.

[logosoco]

33. If he is THAT religious, he should work at a pharmacy that doles out thoughts and prayers only. nt

[montana_hazeleyes]

36. LOL

[Hassler]

34. Sue Meijer and sue him.

[Bettie]

35. If your religious beliefs keep you from doing your job

find another job.

If you are using your religious beliefs to punish others, you should rethink your life.

[Oneironaut]

40. Gee - thanks, Hitler!

How does it feel knowing that you’re oppressing those poor Christians by denying their right to force others to follow their religion or else? White Christian Males are the most oppressed minority in America.

[Bettie]

45. I know, I know

and I really should also recognize that only Christians should be afforded the right to refuse service or anything they want based on their faith.

I do feel for the poor oppressed Christians...I mean, there's a church every mile or so, but what if they live in between two of them? What can they do?

[Haggis for Breakfast]

37. When EXACTLY did we vote on allowing pharmacists

to over-rule MDs ?

When EXACTLY did we vote on allowing pharmacists to decide which prescriptions to fill and which to deny ?

When EXACTLY did we vote on allowing pharmacists to put womens' lives and health care in jeopardy ?

Is sickens me that Walgreen's, of all places - founded by the father of Justin Dart, a tireless, lifelong advocate for the disabled - allows any pharmacist to opt out of doing their job because of their "faith."

If you run a business, you are a public entity, not a rectory, a convent or the Vatican. Do your job or find another line of work, like charity/missionary work, which the church is so big on promoting.

[Progressive Jones]

38. Michigan is no less a right wing pigsty than the Deep South. nt

[Oneironaut]

39. And they never let another pharmacist fill it, of course.

It’s not about personal choice - it’s about them forcing their beliefs on you. Notice the word “good” is thrown in there, with the connotation that she isn’t. Would a “good” person demand everyone adhere to their religion?

These God botherers need to be wiped out through education and by destroying organized religion.

[Jedi Guy]

41. I really don't understand people like this guy.

If he doesn't want to process the prescription owing to his religious beliefs, I'm okay with that... provided that another person take over the order, fill it, and dispense it appropriately, immediately. I'm okay with it so long as it doesn't negatively impact another person. When he shrugs his shoulders and forces her to drive three hours, then I stop being okay with his beliefs.

The fact that he didn't handle the situation that way tells me it was less about his "good Catholic" beliefs and more about wanting to ruin someone else's day, just for funsies. He could have held to his moral beliefs in such a way that he didn't shit all over someone else, but he chose to be an ass.

What ever happened to "live and let live"? Why do so many people feel this burning need to inject their beliefs into someone else's business?

[iluvtennis]

42. FFS, she had a miscarriage. I guess idiots like this pharmacist want women to die cuz their

bodies weren't good enough to carry a baby to full term.

This sh*t has got to stop.