Slog - Comments on Rossi Supports Pharmacists' Right to Refuse Patients

Comment by Doc for Gregoire

Doc for Gregoire — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:18:58 -0800

You tell 'em Gov! Fuck the pharmacists who feel that their religion gives them the right to refuse to treat people. Doctors can't turn away people from the emergency room just because they don't agree with their lifestyle/choices/whatever. I can just imagine, "I didn't want to treat him because he is a junkie/ass fucker/straight person." Right.
And don't tell me "they can go to a different pharmacist." What if that present a huge obstacle to the person?
I think the pharmacist are way out of line on this issue, and frankly I'm glad that a lot of their clout and business is being taken away by internet marketers and supermarkets!

Comment by It's Mark Mitchell

It's Mark Mitchell — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:19:37 -0800

Gregoire said "AIDS victim"?

I admire her sense of drama, but that phrase really chaps my ass.

Comment by kk

kk — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:24:23 -0800

I'm really going to enjoy watching Dino go down in flames next year. Pharmacists have a State-sanctioned monopoly to dispense drugs. They can't discriminate on the basis of religion. Didn't we settle this generations ago when we decided that it was ok for blacks to eat lunch at Woolworth's even though the waitress or the store manager felt that would violate their religious beliefs? If this holds up, what's to prevent discrimination against renters, taxi passengers, etc., etc., etc. That nutjob of a federal judge should be stoned back into the first century.

Comment by N in Seattle

N in Seattle — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:27:27 -0800

If a pharmacist decides not to dispense a prescription written by a physician, thereby countermanding the physician's express order, isn't that tantamount to practicing medicine without a license?

Comment by MvB

MvB — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:27:39 -0800

On the other hand, this opens up the pharmacist position to Christian Scientists, who previously would have violated their religious beliefs by dispensing anything.

Comment by Mike of Renton

Mike of Renton — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:32:24 -0800

Apparently Rossi wasn't happy to only lose by a few hundred votes last time and wants to see if he can lose by a much larger margin this time.

Comment by catalina vel-duray

catalina vel-duray — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:43:11 -0800

What I think is so stupid about this arguement is that these pharmacists want to "take a stand", but they don't want to be inconveinced by that stand. God forbid they would quit on principal, or take up another line of work on principal. They just want to feel good about their so called ethics.

It's like the people that want to outlaw abortion. Abortion has been an option since the first woman gave birth, and it will continue to be an option until the last baby has been born. The only thing outlawing abortion would do would clean up the statistics.

Comment by Levislade

Levislade — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:49:41 -0800

@2 - really? Is that how we're going to do this? Can't we just take a moment to applaud Gregoire for taking a stand before we start backbiting and PC nitpicking?

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:58:29 -0800

Why does Rossi hate we Washingtonians so?

I'll bet they guy is so lame he avoided serving in a combat unit too.

Figures.

Next thing you know you'll tell us he accepted multi-million dollar bribes from big business to run ...

Comment by It's Mark Mitchell

It's Mark Mitchell — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:07:59 -0800

@8 "We" weren't doing anything.

Secondly, I'm kind of excited that I was accused of being PC. That's never happened before!

Comment by Toby

Toby — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:13:00 -0800

"...pharmacists should not be forced to do something that is against their conscience or religious beliefs."

Thereby allowing them to infringe on another's conscience and/or religious beliefs.

Your rights and personal freedoms should end at the point where they can screw up someone else's life. Its surprising how many people fail to recognize that.

Comment by seattle98104

seattle98104 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:21:06 -0800

@11 yeah, but, %33 to %50 of the US population at any given time doesn't "believe" in evolution. so don't expect the general populace to understand rights beyond property and guns.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:27:08 -0800

I'm with Catalina. I think pharmacists SHOULD be allowed to refuse to dispense -- and then should be allowed to go to jail for a year and lose their license for it.

Comment by Smade

Smade — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:33:20 -0800

Can doctors dispense their own prescriptions? If they can't, I wouldnt' mind seeing the legislature change that law and maybe cut into the pharmacists' profits.

Comment by man alive

man alive — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:42:49 -0800

Wasn't there a similar situation with Muslim taxi drivers refusing something or other?

Comment by Greg

Greg — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:42:58 -0800

Can't we sidestep this whole issue by making Plan B legal over the counter for all ages in this state?

Comment by mirror

mirror — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:00:46 -0800

Greg @ 16

It's not just about plan B. What I like about Gregoire's current position on this is that she cuts to the larger (and more politically resonant" core issue. �While this court decision weakens protections for victims of sexual assault, and interferes with a women�s right to choose, it also allows any patient to be denied their medication for no apparent reason."

Any pharmacist can deny any meds based on whatever individual value system the pharmacist holds, inlcuding "no apparent reason."

I think the pharmacists here have got a court to accord them very broad powers that no one ever believed they possessed before.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:08:18 -0800

@13 - I defer to the wisdom of Fnarf.

Comment by Marlon

Marlon — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:10:02 -0800

Speaking as a PWA - Person Living with AIDS -

Gov. Gregoire rocks, and her mention of the slippery slope was right on.

I am ready for the battle to re - elect this leader. Are you?

Dino Rossi is a no good neo con faker.

We must work hard against him starting after the Holidays.

The battle is on - Rossi Looses by 6 Points - is the headline we need in Nov. of 2008 - none of this squeaking by stuff this time round, a clean Gregoire victory.

Comment by infrequent

infrequent — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:26:46 -0800

just don't tell your pharmacist what plan-b is used for.

Comment by SDA in SEA

SDA in SEA — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:23:39 -0800

I think I should become a pharmacist. It is against my personal belief system to give viagra to Republicans. After all, if God wanted Republicans to get boners, God would give them boners without the intervention of drugs.

Comment by Particle Man

Particle Man — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:26:45 -0800

Actually Will, I think the Rossi bribes were only in the $100,000 to $200,000 range and were paid when he last held public office. Though, I am not sure how else one could define the $75k to $100k fraudward Washington paid him with BIAW money.

Comment by observance

observance — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:48:27 -0800

why not "AIDS victim"?

Comment by Lee Gibson

Lee Gibson — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:43:40 -0800

If pharmacists aren't supposed to use their judgement when deciding whether or not to fill a prescription, why have pharmacists?