Someone's doing something... because others won't do their jobs

AMA: Physicians Charge Pharmacists With Interference in Medical Care (June 20, 2005)

The American Medical Association's policy-making body voted today to press for state laws that would allow physicians to dispense medications when there is no nearby pharmacist willing to dispense the prescribed drugs.

The new AMA policy is an attempt to overcome what doctors say is a stampede of pharamacists who say they cannot in good conscience dispense certain medications. The issue of conscientious refusal was first raised when some pharmacists refused to fill prescriptions for the emergency contraception pill, called Plan B. Additionally some pharmacists refused to fill prescriptions for birth control pills.

But AMA delegates say the conscience-based refusals have now spread to psychotropic drugs and pain medications.

An LJ'er recently wrote about having his Valtrex prescription refused because the pharmacist wants him to suffer from his herpes. After receiving tons of flames from right-wing nuts, he ended up pulling the entry.

Note: Edited later 12/5/05 to correct a gender error. My most sincere apologies to triggur for calling him a her. I originally saw the link elsewhere and didn't check to make sure the information about the poster was 100% correct. My bad!