Walgreens Jerks You Around When You Try To Buy Plan B
A reader's girlfriend tried to buy Plan B yesterday, but the Oxford, MS Walgreens pharmacy seemed to go out of their way to make it has hard as possible. Mere incompetence doesn't explain what happened. Instead, it sounds more like a consciously decided system of policies designed to discourage people from buying the pill...
The reader writes:
I live in Oxford, MS, and my girlfriend and I researched the availability of Plan B in this state. We knew there might some puritanical problems with purchasing it here in Mississippi – we have all kinds of arcane alcohol laws and only one abortion clinic in the state, after all – and from what we could tell, a pharmacist can refuse to sell Plan B to a woman on religious/moral grounds. But otherwise pharmacies do carry it, and it should be available to a woman as long as she can prove she is over age 18. As this is a university town and a top-ranked party school, we supposed it wouldn't be as hard to get Plan B as in other really small, ultra-conservative rural towns. And we also figured that a corporate pharmacy such as Walgreens would be less troublesome to deal with than a mom-and-pop one.
Well, the other day we decided to be extra-safe and to get the Plan B pill from Walgreens here in town. My girlfriend went and requested Plan B, equipped with the knowledge that it's a non-prescription drug available with ID. She said the pharmacy worker started asking for proof of insurance in order to get the pill. My girlfriend refused and asked to speak to someone in charge. The pharmacist then came, and my girlfriend told him she simply wanted Plan B and that her ID should be good enough. The pharmacist then went about getting the pill, but they also seem to have a policy, a lá abortion clinics, of forcing a waiting period of an hour and giving adoption literature to the person requesting the contraceptive. Now, Plan B is just an additional spermicide, not an abortion pill, but that's another can of worms. In the end, my girlfriend demanded the Plan B immediately, and she got it, but not without a fair amount of interference on Walgreens' part. They also insisted on writing down her driver's license number.I'm wondering how much trouble other people may have had with Walgreens (or any other pharmacy) over acquiring Plan B. There are several other Red States that make allowances for the pharmacists' "moral concerns" to get in the way of getting Plan B. What are our rights in getting this pill right away? Walgreens' website didn't indicate that they could possibly get all high-and-mighty with her when she went to make the purchase. Could they also get uppity when you buy other kinds of contraception?
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Comments:
I still think that if your religion interferes with your job, you should find another job.
Why not post the phone number of the Walgreens. We could blast the living shit out of these Christers!
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: IANAD, but I looked this up once out of curiosity. Not terribly many common medicines are interfered with by hormonal birth control, but some common medicines interfere with their effectiveness (certain antibiotics are notable for this, for example). If the gal went to her own pharmacist, the information about her other medications would have been on file. If she went to a different one, the question "what other medications are you currently taking" would have been sufficient. There wasn't any excuse for the waiting period, the propaganda, or the drivers' license intimidation tactics.
Also, can a guy get Plan B? B/c then wouldn't that solve a lot of problems with glaring looks? Nothing is more disarming to a disapproving stare than a prideful "Yeah, I got some" smirk. Even better if you try to make the Pharma give you a high five.
Sounds like the same amount of hassle I go through to buy Sudafed.
Frankly, from their tone, it sounds like they had an axe to grind before walking in the door (preemptive defensiveness?). Just my sense of the tone here.
unfortunately I think it's legal, although I'm not 100% sure on that. It may soon get a lot harder too, since Bush is trying to push another regulation through the dept. of health (Planned Parenthood was concerned enough to alert anyone they could about it and it may still be on their site.) Next time, either tell them to refuse it outright and go somewhere else, or demand it up front without hassles because the law does not require additional reading material or an hour waiting period for it.
Given that it's over the counter it should be handled with no more fuss than any other over the counter medication. If you live in a state that restricts Pseudo-Ephedrine to similar requirements (Show ID and no more than 1 per week/month) then this should have been a non-issue. A short lecture regarding any risks (IF THAT), and thank you for coming.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: Lots of OTC drugs have interactions with other medications. I doubt Walgreens also makes people sit around for an hour before they're allowed to buy Maalox.
I live in Oxford, MS and shop at that Walgreen's all the time (I even know someone who used to work in the Pharmacy dept) and it doesn't surprise me AT ALL about this. These are the same people who gave me the "stink eye" for wanting the bigger size of Sudafed.
Plan B is not actually a spermicide. It isn't at all an abortion pill, either. Here is a paper explaining the scientific facts, for those who are interested:
[bvs.insp.mx]
and yes, they could get "uppety" when trying to buy other contraceptives if they feel it goes against their moral beliefs. Sometimes, it's just better to buy online through Canada or get your girl on the shot. If you attend the university, you should be able to access the school health center with your school-provided insurance. Plan B is emergency contraceptive, so all you'd need to do is go to their pharmacy. And if you're not in the university, still ask them about whether or not you are allowed to get that pill or other services from them, wouldn't hurt.
I don't think Plan B is classified as a spermicide. It prevents fertilization and possibly implantation, but it doesn't kill sperm.
Plan B is pretty much just a double dose of hormonal based birth control pills. I don't understand out someone who has an education in pharmaceuticals could be against it on a moral grounds issue if they sell other forms of birth control.
Last I checked, Plan B isn't a spermicidal agent but also can't really be called an abortion pill unless you really stretch it. From what I read, it usually just prevents ovulation. However, if ovulation has already taken plan and an embryo happens to form, it will prevent the embryo from successfully attaching to the wall of the uterus. If that happens, I guess some people could consider it "abortion," but to hell with them... ;)
Anyway, the Walgreens employee's response sounds stupid. Being a guy, I have never had to buy EC. However, my friend got some one time... she got it in a small, conservative town and had no trouble at all. I don't think the issue is with the pharmacy company. It's with the idiots who work there. I would contact Walgreen corporation and raise some hell.
Articles like this make me so glad I live in a really liberal area. After a situation where you feel the need to buy plan B the last thing you need is a pharmacy tech giving you grief. I'd recommend anyone that isn't on a solid birth control routine keep one of these on hand. A ridiculous 1 hour waiting period isn't nearly as stressful when you aren't watching the clock for effectiveness.
Next time, go to a compounding shop and ask for "Cipro or Zithromax, the BABY dose, if you know what I'm sayin'"
Uhh... Plan B is _not_ a spermicidal agent. Plan B contains only progestin and levonorgestrel which are not spermicides, they don't have any effect on sperm, only on the release of an egg from the ovaries and the attachment of a fertilized egg to the womb. Now, I'm not going to get into the "abortaficient" debate because I don't care what some moralist may believe over me, but calling Plan B "a type of spermicide" or a "spermicidal agent" makes no sense... unless there is some definition of "killing sperm" that I don't understand.
As for the questions about this, different stores and states have different policies for administering drugs. Not all OTC drugs are treated the same, and the FDA classifies Plan B differently from something like Advil, or other OTC by-request drugs. The FDA has published their findings on several occassions on their website.
@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: So what if they did have a chip on their shoulder? It wasn't the job of the pharmacist to knock it off.
@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: i agree. but thats the world we live in today. i dont really go anywhere nowadays without thinking im gonna get screwed or inconvenienced in some form or another.
"The pharmacist then went about getting the pill, but they also seem to have a policy, a lá abortion clinics, of forcing a waiting period of an hour and giving adoption literature to the person requesting the contraceptive."
I would be curious to know if this is a state law. It certianly isnt walgreens policy. If it is not state law and your gf ends up pregnant you could sue walgreens for wasting a valuable hour of time - (plan B becomes less effective every minute you wait).
Heck you probably could sue just for the potential danger/risk the pharmacist put on your GF even if she doesn't end up pregnant.
"They also insisted on writing down her driver's license number."
This is not necessary and is a violation of privacy.
Especially if you start seeing religious or adoption/abstinence literature in your mail or otherwise harassed.
I'm not even going to touch this topic with a 10 ft pole.
and on a personal note, I really do suggest her getting the Depo shot -- lasts for 3 months, and is about 99% safe(better than condoms, and cheaper than getting Plan B each time.) It ends up being cheaper to get that done once every 3 months than get BC pills from a pharmacy without having insurance. Check out any planned parenthood sites in the state -- not all are abortion clinics -- as well as call hospitals/clinics in the area to get quotes and advice on available services.
@bonzombiekitty: According to wikipedia, Plan B prevents ovulation and there's some doubt over whether or not it prevents implantation.
Not to blame the consumer here, but what do you expect from Mississippi? That's one of the most backwards places in the country. I got dirty looks buying alcohol there. I couldn't imagine the BS hassle in Mississippi of getting contraceptives or anything related to that.
AFAIK from a quick search, they do allow for refusal on moral grounds, but don't have any requirements for propaganda or waiting periods. I'm not really sure they needed your driver's license info either. I'd complain to corporate about it. If they were going to refuse on moral grounds, they should have just done so.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: There might be a legitimate question or two about smoking or other risks for blood clots. Rare, but important side effects associated with birth control hormones, particularly for smokers or women with high blood pressure for other reasons.
But that doesn't seem to be the case here. I haven't heard of any other major side effects or drug interactions a pharmacist might feel compelled to mention before sale - I'd expect them to just emphasize that the purchaser read the leaflet carefully.
/ not a pharmacist or medical doctor
That's pretty sad to hear.. I once had to take my GF to get Plan B from a Walgreens in Michigan and we had no such trouble so it definitely sounds like its region based. We walked up to the counter she showed her ID and we were handed a box - no questions asked.
The forced waiting period and adoption pamphlets are just insulting though. That would definitely get my blood boiling. I wonder if that's a state mandate or just the pharmacist there being a redneck asshole. I'm sure he has no problems handing out fistfulls of Oxycontin to people who don't need it.
@jurijuri: I second that. I would think that pharmacists knew what they were getting themselves into before they began their studies.
@speedwell: I agree with the no excuse for everything, unless it was an established procedure that applies to everyone everywhere, and was established for a reason other than fanaticism. If so, then the info should be available to show it's not b/c the tech/pharma is a zealot, I.E. why some meds are behind the counter due to meth mis-use. As I have said to many people, I don't ask for special treatment, I just want to be be treated equally(I worked in a heavily female dept at one job, and use to have "special rules" made b/c I was the only guy).
I was just wondering as, the way I understand it, Plan B is a larger dose of hormones than the standard pill, so I wondered if given the larger dose, it could cause some problem that lower doses wouldn't.
@speedwell: Figured it would be okay to make an asinine statement about getting a new job if religion interferes, but state the obvious about sex....and you are apparently a sexist.
@speedwell: Just out of curiosity, how is what he said sexist? Not trying to start a fight or anything. I am honestly curious.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: I wasn't disagreeing with you, sorry if it sounded like I was.
The problem with plan B is it's expensive. $50 a pop around here. My girlfriend can't use BC, but she's considering getting a prescription for it just so she can use it as an ECP in case of accidents. That way her insurance will pay for it and she'll have more than 1 treatment available. There is a list of various BC pill combinations that are known as effective ECP treatments.
I used Plan B once. It's no fun. It's a deliberate, violent shock to your hormones and it makes you puke your stomach inside out. But I'm so grateful it's available.
@skipjack: You weren't just stating the obvious about sex. You implied that rather than getting something like plan b, a person should choose not to have sex. And in a way attempted to defend a workers right to refuse to do their job while still getting paid.
@squish123: IMHO, the "adoption literature" part of this is the most outrageous. Any pharmacist who does that on the job should be fired immediately.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: It's over the counter and if it weren't for the not-medically-based age requirement, you could sell it out of vending machines.
@IrvCrapper: Nice try. Atheists have better morals than that. Plus most are against guns. Don't attempt to make it look like we're violent criminals, like religious fundamentalists are, or we'll... we'll... ARGUE you to death. So there.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: The only drugs that might provide a problem are other hormones, which if you are taking large dosages of Hormones you would be advised to avoid taking even more of the same hormones like plan B. Also the fact you were prescribed such hormones makes it less likely you need plan B - for example - had menopause.
So the pharmacist can ask as a favor for personal info, but it is not necessary and not standard procedure. They have to give the drugs over after verifying the age. Once the age of 18 is established their right to withhold is gone, and either themselves or another pharmacist has to provide the drug.
The FDA wanted it available on the shelf next to the condoms, but despite unanimous approval by the board, the board chairman, appointed by Bush, refused to approve it on moral/ethic grounds. After a Long fight, they compromised and made it OTC for 18+.
The FDA did want Plan
Walgreens does not require its pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception (and maybe other 'objectionable' drugs like birth control? I'm having a hard time finding their policies.
Eckerd, CVS, and Wal-mart do not allow pharmacists to morally refuse to fill a legit prescription. Eckerd fired someone in 2004: [hr.blr.com]
Wal-mart tried to get around this by not stocking emergency contraception for a while - so all pharmacists would have to refer customers to a different pharmacy, regardless of moral belief. But birth control brings in the $$, so they've changed policy.
@katiat325: The shot is not for everyone. I have several friends who had a really bad time with it. It worked while they were on it, but once they tried to go off it, it really screwed up their cycles. A couple of them are _still_ messed up.
@Corporate_guy: If you have sex, protected or unprotected...you might get pregnant. That's biology 101. A worker has every right to refuse to do a part of their job based not only on religion, but moral grounds, or just wanting to be a jerk. Of course, walgreens has every right to fire the folks involved as well and I support that right just as adamantly.
@Git Em SteveDave loves this guy->★: Technically, a guy could (as long as he is over EC). He would probably get a lot of questions.
Just a quick question: Can this interfere with any other medication? I only ask b/c I could see a pharmacist asking for personal info to make sure there is no interaction. So it's a CYA and "Do No Harm" thing. After that, don't push your religion or beliefs on other people. Your rights end where mine begin.