Two Long Island Reps introduce law requiring pharmacists to fill scripts

[tk2kewl]

Pushing pharmacy referrals

Two area lawmakers among those behind legislation that would fine drugstores that refuse customers

BY SID CASSESE AND RIDGELY OCHS
STAFF WRITERS

August 23, 2005

Pharmacists who won't fill a prescription for personal reasons would have to refer the customer to a colleague in the same shop under a proposed federal law, two congressional members announced yesterday in Dix Hills.

Reps. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) unveiled the proposal at a news conference outside the Pathmark supermarket off Jericho Turnpike.

Israel, pointing to the grocery store, said a pharmacist at the store twice refused to fill a prescription in March for emergency contraceptive pills and did not offer a referral.

<snip>


Maloney said: "Access to birth control is a legal right and a private matter, not to be tampered with by a pharmacist with an agenda."

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lipill0823,0,4663590.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines

[Nite Owl]

1. Pataki vetoed the EC bill

just a couple of weeks ago. It passed the Republican Senate and he wouldn't sign it. NY could have been protected from this kind of right wing agenda.

[tk2kewl]

2. Pataki is a fool

he thinks his veto will endear him to the KKK wing of the RepubliKlan party, but his presidential bid is going nowhere

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Well, I didn't expect Peter King to sign on with that bill.

However, where is Carolyn McCarthy on this one? I'd thought she'd be supportive enough to lend her name.

[tk2kewl]

4. Dunno... maybe just letting Maloney get some press

this is a bit further east on the Island than Carolyn's district