Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) believes that pharmacists have a duty to dispense drugs or devices lawfully prescribed by a physician, and applaud pharmacies that will not employ individuals who are not prepared to serve all of their customers.  We do not support any policy that would accommodate a pharmacist's refusal by placing the burden on the patient to travel to another pharmacy for services or wait an undue amount of time.

In recent months PPFA surveyed the top 50 national pharmacy chains to ascertain their policy regarding pharmacists' right to refuse to fill valid, legal prescriptions for birth control, including emergency contraception.  The following pharmacies responded with a policy in line with the Planned Parenthood position that patients' access to services without delay or discrimination should not be compromised by a pharmacist's personal beliefs:

- Costco
- CVS
- Harris Teeter
- Price Choppers

Join Planned Parenthood in applauding these pharmacies for protecting women. 

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I recently learned that your company has an explicit policy that protects women from being denied legally prescribed medication. As a consumer, I find it heartening that you do not encourage or allow the individual beliefs of pharmacists to jeopardize women's health and impede a patient's ability to get birth control pills, including emergency contraception.

While I appreciate that most pharmacists seek to protect their patients' health, I am outraged that a number of national pharmacy chains allow patients to be denied timely and seamless access to their pills because of pharmacists' personal biases.

I have joined the Planned Parenthood Fill My Pills Now campaign in an effort to encourage some of your competitors to change their bad policies. In the meantime, I will be sure to tell my friends about your company's excellent policy.

Thank you for protecting women.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 13, 2005