Catholic Pharmacist?

[ChristianPharm]

I am new to this forum so please bare with me. I am a senior in high school and am considering a career in pharmacy. I have a moral dilemma and that is that I am catholic and do not want to put myself in a situation that might compromise my religious beliefs as far as the dispensing of birth control pills and abortifacients. No, I don't need a speech telling me I should just dispense and go against my religious beliefs. I am wondering if a career in pharmacy is possible without having to deal with such drugs. Would specializing in a certain area of pharmacy such as pediatric pharmacy or toxicology prevent me from being in a position I am not morally comfortable with? Please no judgements. I am not asking if a pharmacist has the "right to refuse," I'm looking for a way to not be in that situation to begin with. Thank you.

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[LECOM-B2012]

I am new to this forum so please bare with me. I am a senior in high school and am considering a career in pharmacy. I have a moral dilemma and that is that I am catholic and do not want to put myself in a situation that might compromise my religious beliefs as far as the dispensing of birth control pills and abortifacients. No, I don't need a speech telling me I should just dispense and go against my religious beliefs. I am wondering if a career in pharmacy is possible without having to deal with such drugs. Would specializing in a certain area of pharmacy such as pediatric pharmacy or toxicology prevent me from being in a position I am not morally comfortable with? Please no judgements. I am not asking if a pharmacist has the "right to refuse," I'm looking for a way to not be in that situation to begin with. Thank you.

The fact that you get a license to practice pharmacy absolves you from any responsibility of having to fill anything. You have the right to refuse to fill any medication you like so long as who ever you work for has a protocol to get the medication to the patient by other means. Nobody can force you to fill a prescriptions that you don't feel comfortable with. I hope that helps.

 

[Phoenix585]

If you are the only pharmacist available in the area that's a little different. . The patient also has the right to expect to receive the prescription they've been given. So yes, you have the right to refuse to fill particular prescriptions if it goes against your moral or religious beliefs, BUT you have another obligation (actually your required to do this from what I understand) like the previous poster mentioned to find some other means (i.e. another pharmacist) that would be willing to fill it. So you would want to avoid any employment that might put you in the position where you are the ONLY pharmacist available.
I would suggest to find employment with a catholic hospital or specialize in an area of pharmacy that does not include the medication you are morally against filling. Nuclear pharmacy may be an option. Just find a position that won't put you in the position I mentioned above.
Do you know anyone who is a pharmacist or health professional and has similar beliefs as you? You may want to consult with them, they might know more information on specific fields that will help you to avoid those types of situations.
I hope this helps.

 

[speciald]

You should also be aware that birth control pills are very often prescribed to control medical conditions like PCOS and non-malignant tumors, especially in teenagers and older women. However clinics and hospitals operated by the Catholic church won't allow their docs to prescribe them, so that may be a good choice for you.

 

[117296]

I am new to this forum so please bare with me. I am a senior in high school and am considering a career in pharmacy. I have a moral dilemma and that is that I am catholic and do not want to put myself in a situation that might compromise my religious beliefs as far as the dispensing of birth control pills and abortifacients. No, I don't need a speech telling me I should just dispense and go against my religious beliefs. I am wondering if a career in pharmacy is possible without having to deal with such drugs. Would specializing in a certain area of pharmacy such as pediatric pharmacy or toxicology prevent me from being in a position I am not morally comfortable with? Please no judgements. I am not asking if a pharmacist has the "right to refuse," I'm looking for a way to not be in that situation to begin with. Thank you.

There are 3 or 4 states where the pharmacist does not have the right to refuse.

 

[Jdario86]

No. If you're in Highschool now, pharmacy will progressively change drastically by the time you get your PharmD. To avoid any possible lawsuits or malpractice, I suggest you consider a different field.

 

[Ethyl Methyl]

Once you get into pharmacy you will see that there are several specialties of pharmacy that won't require you to fill prescriptions that are against your religious and moral beliefs. You can go into the academia or research or specialize in infectious diseases, disease state management, nuclear pharmacy, oncology to name a few. Staying true to your faith and morals does not rule out pharmacy for you. You just have to find a field that will allow you to do what you want to do and hold on to your beliefs.

 

[rphfan2009]

I am new to this forum so please bare with me. I am a senior in high school and am considering a career in pharmacy. I have a moral dilemma and that is that I am catholic and do not want to put myself in a situation that might compromise my religious beliefs as far as the dispensing of birth control pills and abortifacients. No, I don't need a speech telling me I should just dispense and go against my religious beliefs. I am wondering if a career in pharmacy is possible without having to deal with such drugs. Would specializing in a certain area of pharmacy such as pediatric pharmacy or toxicology prevent me from being in a position I am not morally comfortable with? Please no judgements. I am not asking if a pharmacist has the "right to refuse," I'm looking for a way to not be in that situation to begin with. Thank you.

I knew a high school kid that had the similiar dilemma as you and she choose not to do pharmacy in the end.

I am too a Catholic and my final advice for you is to choose another field...patients deserve to have their scripts filled...not matter what you feel personally.

 

[Carboxide]

If your religious beliefs conflict with your job duties, either get a new religion or get a new job.

I highly suggest a new career choice.

 

[aboveliquidice]

I am new to this forum so please bare with me. I am a senior in high school and am considering a career in pharmacy. I have a moral dilemma and that is that I am catholic and do not want to put myself in a situation that might compromise my religious beliefs as far as the dispensing of birth control pills and abortifacients. No, I don't need a speech telling me I should just dispense and go against my religious beliefs. I am wondering if a career in pharmacy is possible without having to deal with such drugs. Would specializing in a certain area of pharmacy such as pediatric pharmacy or toxicology prevent me from being in a position I am not morally comfortable with? Please no judgements. I am not asking if a pharmacist has the "right to refuse," I'm looking for a way to not be in that situation to begin with. Thank you.

You could specialize in an area of pharmacy that you would not have to fill prescriptions of this nature... however - there would be no way to get to that specialty (education wise) without spending time in a retail pharmacy. I can guarantee that you will be exposed to these prescriptions at some point in time.

That being said - being a consientious objector is legal in most states (certainly in Oregon where I attend school) - As my peers above have mentioned.

I do not however, share the opinion that this is a make-or-break decision for pharmacy.

I would pose this question to you - Why do you want to be a pharmacist? If it is to reach and help people - to uplift and comfort them - then your religion almost demands that you do it, doesn't it?

Remember, as a pharmacist, you are bound by our code of ethics to respect the autonomy of your patients. There is a balance, should you choose to seek it.

For the record - I'm Jewish, and do not share these beliefs. I'd hate to lose a capable and compassionate peer just because he/she is religious.

~above~

 

[ChristianPharm]

Thank you to the few who actually READ my post.

A "get a new job" reply with nothing else but your own beliefs backing that doesn't really help and is only your personal opinion.

 

[ChristianPharm]

If you are the only pharmacist available in the area that's a little different. . The patient also has the right to expect to receive the prescription they've been given. So yes, you have the right to refuse to fill particular prescriptions if it goes against your moral or religious beliefs, BUT you have another obligation (actually your required to do this from what I understand) like the previous poster mentioned to find some other means (i.e. another pharmacist) that would be willing to fill it. So you would want to avoid any employment that might put you in the position where you are the ONLY pharmacist available.
I would suggest to find employment with a catholic hospital or specialize in an area of pharmacy that does not include the medication you are morally against filling. Nuclear pharmacy may be an option. Just find a position that won't put you in the position I mentioned above.
Do you know anyone who is a pharmacist or health professional and has similar beliefs as you? You may want to consult with them, they might know more information on specific fields that will help you to avoid those types of situations.
I hope this helps.

Are all catholic hospitals against the prescription of these drugs or only a few?

 

[ChristianPharm]

You could specialize in an area of pharmacy that you would not have to fill prescriptions of this nature... however - there would be no way to get to that specialty (education wise) without spending time in a retail pharmacy. I can guarantee that you will be exposed to these prescriptions at some point in time.

That being said - being a consientious objector is legal in most states (certainly in Oregon where I attend school) - As my peers above have mentioned.

I do not however, share the opinion that this is a make-or-break decision for pharmacy.

I would pose this question to you - Why do you want to be a pharmacist? If it is to reach and help people - to uplift and comfort them - then your religion almost demands that you do it, doesn't it?

Remember, as a pharmacist, you are bound by our code of ethics to respect the autonomy of your patients. There is a balance, should you choose to seek it.

For the record - I'm Jewish, and do not share these beliefs. I'd hate to lose a capable and compassionate peer just because he/she is religious.

~above~

I shadowed a pharmacist through a program my high school offers and really enjoyed the experience and the thought process that goes into these drugs. I find how drugs work to be really interesting. I am hoping to gain more experience in the field before starting pharmacy school. Are there any pharmacy schools in particular you could recommend as far as working with my religion?

 

[aboveliquidice]

I shadowed a pharmacist through a program my high school offers and really enjoyed the experience and the thought process that goes into these drugs. I find how drugs work to be really interesting. I am hoping to gain more experience in the field before starting pharmacy school. Are there any pharmacy schools in particular you could recommend as far as working with my religion?

The only school that really comes to mind is Palm Beach Atlantic - it is pharmacy with a christian background. That school is going through a bit of trouble currently, as the school is on probation with ACPE - but I would take a look anyways (they are likely to fix whatever problems they are having).

~above~

 

[SeattleCoug]

I shadowed a pharmacist through a program my high school offers and really enjoyed the experience and the thought process that goes into these drugs. I find how drugs work to be really interesting. I am hoping to gain more experience in the field before starting pharmacy school. Are there any pharmacy schools in particular you could recommend as far as working with my religion?

I do believe that there are certain procedures and medications that all catholic hospitals do not perform and prescribe.

As to suggestions about schools, I think that you will need to learn about these drugs either way. It is a part of the profession. It does not mean you have to employ their uses, but I do not know of any curriculum that would exclude them. They do exist and you need to be aware of interactions and complications to help your patients. With that said, Loma Linda is a Seventh Day Adventist University and their teachings may be more in line with what you are looking for than a state school.

I think it is commendable that you recognize your point of conflict, and rather than emphasize it you are trying to avoit it.

Good luck!

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Are all catholic hospitals against the prescription of these drugs or only a few?

I remember njac posting some Catholic hospitals do dispense Plan B for assault victims.

 

[mindfixation]

Specialization in a Catholic hospital would definately be your best route. It seems like more and more pharmacists are getting their "right to refuse" taken away from them; not to mention that if you tell your possible employer about your morals, they may not want to hire you. It is definately possible though - I would check into the hospitals, as well as check with pharmacy schools (possibly those with Christian foundations) to find out more on how you can get around that. They'll most likely have the most reliable information on it!

Best of luck!

I am new to this forum so please bare with me. I am a senior in high school and am considering a career in pharmacy. I have a moral dilemma and that is that I am catholic and do not want to put myself in a situation that might compromise my religious beliefs as far as the dispensing of birth control pills and abortifacients. No, I don't need a speech telling me I should just dispense and go against my religious beliefs. I am wondering if a career in pharmacy is possible without having to deal with such drugs. Would specializing in a certain area of pharmacy such as pediatric pharmacy or toxicology prevent me from being in a position I am not morally comfortable with? Please no judgements. I am not asking if a pharmacist has the "right to refuse," I'm looking for a way to not be in that situation to begin with. Thank you.

 

[Jdario86]

Thank you to the few who actually READ my post.

A "get a new job" reply with nothing else but your own beliefs backing that doesn't really help and is only your personal opinion.

If you intend to practice your moral beliefs within the pharmaceutical sciences, expect a lot of people who will criticize you. I commend your audacity to stand up for your moral beliefs but the general notion with practicing religion in a clinical/scientific setting is considered unorthodox and frowned upon by many professionals. And that is not an opinion, that is a valid observation. I know many pharmacists who are very religious but they know how to draw the line between professionalism and religion.

Cest la vie.

For the most part, if you intend to seek validation for your religious convictions within this pre-pharm forum, you will not find a lot of people who will agree with you - especially on the pharmacy student forum bc mostly everyone in that forum are either accepted pharm students, actual students or professional pharmacists.

good luck

 

[OChemTA]

If you intend to practice your moral beliefs within the pharmaceutical scientists, expect a lot of people who will criticize you. I commend your audacity to stand up for your moral beliefs but the general notion with practicing religion in a clinical/scientific setting is considered unorthodox and frowned upon by many professionals. And that is not an opinion, that is a valid observation. I know many pharmacists who are very religious but they know how to draw the line between professionalism and religion.

Cest la vie.

For the most part, if you intend to seek validation for your religious convictions within this pre-pharm forum, you will not find a lot of people who will agree with you - especially on the pharmacy student forum bc mostly everyone in that forum are either accepted pharm students, actual students or professional pharmacists.

.Very well said.

This is off the topic but...to the OP:

I've always wondered how you fundamentalist Catholics manage to reconcile science and religion. You seem to just cherry pick whatever you want to believe and ignore anything that goes beyond your personal beliefs. Ie. you clearly adhere to and believe the science behind thermodynamics, thermokinetics, reaction mechanisms (if you want to be pharm), but fundamentalists refuse to believe in evolution which is based on the same foundation (scientific method) as chemistry. Therefore, you're cherry picking which discipline of science you believe in. The same goes for the protestant Catholics where they cherry pick what part of the bible is true. ie. I've seen Dawkin interview gay preachers who cherry pick sections of the bible to mesh with their sexual orientation.

I just never understood that. If you're going to cherry pick what section of the bible to believe in, then you're just making up your own belief system...

Just never understood how you reconcile this difference. You don't have to respond, just something I wondered about..

 

[PrePharmD]

.

 

[rphfan2009]

If your religious beliefs conflict with your job duties, either get a new religion or get a new job.

I highly suggest a new career choice.

Good comment

 

[CaptainPicard]

Look within. Think about things. Ask yourself why you are against dispensing certain medications. The answer is that you have been taught to think that way. So, why have you been taught to think like this? Is it because of an interpretation of Onan in the Bible? Why would God care so much about someone's lineage so as strike someone down for practicing crude contraception?

Look at those making decisions for you. We have very wealthy, celibate men who don't understand what it is like to be poor and pregnant making these decisions. Just recently the Pope said that condoms cause AIDS cases to increase. He is certainly not an expert in pathology. He is, however, an expert in keeping the population of Catholics as high as possible.

People aren't going to like my post, and I apologize for taking this approach. There is much truth, however, if you are willing to accept it.

 

[rphfan2009]

Thank you to the few who actually READ my post.

A "get a new job" reply with nothing else but your own beliefs backing that doesn't really help and is only your personal opinion.

The same goes for you pushing your personal beliefs off on patients and not dispensing prescriptions that they need filled.

Another thing: You will have to spend time in a retail setting (before you get out of pharmacy school) and they routinely dispense Plan B and birth control pills. So there is really no way of getting around it.

Do yourself a favor and find another career field...pharmacy is not a place for those who are going to pass judgements on their patients. And thats exactly what you are doing.

P.S. I'm also Catholic

 

[rphfan2009]

Look within. Think about things. Ask yourself why you are against dispensing certain medications. The answer is that you have been taught to think that way. So, why have you been taught to think like this? Is it because of an interpretation of Onan in the Bible? Why would God care so much about someone's lineage so as strike someone down for practicing crude contraception?

Look at those making decisions for you. We have very wealthy, celibate men who don't understand what it is like to be poor and pregnant making these decisions. Just recently the Pope said that condoms cause AIDS cases to increase. He is certainly not an expert in pathology. He is, however, an expert in keeping the population of Catholics as high as possible.

People aren't going to like my post, and I apologize for taking this approach. There is much truth, however, if you are willing to accept it.

Good comment as well

 

[ffpickle]

Even if you do go to into Pharm, I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts, that by the time you become a Pharmacist, you will just go ahead and dispense medications which you presently perceive as morally compromising.

 

[Carboxide]

Here's a question for ya, too:

Why can't you just dispense it? You don't have to take it - someone else does. Why isn't it okay for you to just give it to others and respect their beliefs? If they don't think it's okay to take, then they will refuse to accept a prescription for it. Why do you have to make the decision instead of leaving it up to your patient?

 

[tomk]

his beliefs may change after college =)

i have no problems with him becoming a pharmacist as long as he makes it clear to those he works for about his beliefs and his reluctance to prescribe certain drugs.

you do what you need to do, someone will pick you up if you are exceptional at what you do. However, i wouldn't want you to be my pharmacist lol.

I want science when it comes to drugs, not religion.

 

[bluesickle]

Thank you to the few who actually READ my post.

A "get a new job" reply with nothing else but your own beliefs backing that doesn't really help and is only your personal opinion.

I don't understand why you're getting offended when people are saying you should consider another career choice. It's a valid suggestion as pharmacy isn't for everyone. All I know is if I owned a pharmacy and I knew you'd refuse to fill certain medications, I certainly wouldn't hire you.

 

[themulya]

I'm just going to step in here and say to some of the posters above, we should not be attacking the OP's religious beliefs. I personally am not a believer in any religions, but I do respect others beliefs. We all as individuals have a choice to believe or not believe whatever is presented to us.

I find offense in atheists trying to convince christians that there is no god as much as christians trying to convince atheists there is one.

In response to the OP's question, if you want to avoid all contact with birth control in your career, I think it is close to impossible. As far as I'm aware, all pharmacy schools require a mandatory retail rotation in your P4 year where I doubt you will get a right of refusal as an intern. Also you are still in high school and if you were planning on getting pharmacy experience before applying to pharmacy school, you are handicapping what is available to work at. But if you look at the long run, a rotations is 6 weeks, the field of pharmacy is expansive enough where you would never have to deal with birth controls for the rest of your life.

To your other questions, there are quite a few pharmacy schools that are associated with a religion. I got into Creighton which is a Jesuit school. However it's more in the sense that the school basis is founded on Ignation values, but the rules do not really run the school. I dont know if that made sense. But if you are asking about a school that adheres strictly to Catholic beliefs and teaches based off Catholic beliefs, I dont know of any.

Just on a last note. Is it possible to be a pharmacist with absolutely no exposure to BC's? Doubtful. However if you can live with some limited exposure, it is possible. Someone said this earlier but you have to realize that birth control exists and that many women are on it. You will have to know how it works and what it reacts with because chances are that you will have a patient who is on them. However whether you choose to dispense it or not is you choice in most states.

 

[Storm90]

OP, as a Christian, I understand where you're coming from, and it's commendable for you to be so open with your beliefs. I don't know what the rules & regulations are about refusing to fill Rx's because of religion, although you can refuse suspected forged Rxs and such. My wife's physician is Catholic and is does not write BC Rxs because of her belief. However, she can't refuse to provide the service and has an agreement with a colleague of hers who does write the Rxs for her. You just need to find a way around your predicament where everyone gets what they need (you don't fill BC but the pt still gets them). As far as careerwise, there are many options available to pharmacists, not just retail. Contact one of your potential schools and see what they have to say.

 

[SHC1984]

I don't understand why you're getting offended when people are saying you should consider another career choice. It's a valid suggestion as pharmacy isn't for everyone. All I know is if I owned a pharmacy and I knew you'd refuse to fill certain medications, I certainly wouldn't hire you.

I totally agree! if you can't dispense everything in the pharmacy then you should NOT be a pharmacist. I would hate to come into a pharmacy wanting to buy a Plan B pill and being denied by some close minded pharmacist. Look even if you cause trouble and denied someone of a Plan B pill they will just go somewhere else and buy it. Sorry but you can't force people into doing everything that you want.

 

[IrishOats]

Just recently the Pope said that condoms cause AIDS cases to increase. He is certainly not an expert in pathology. He is, however, an expert in keeping the population of Catholics as high as possible.

 

[kismet]

Are there any pharmacy schools in particular you could recommend as far as working with my religion?

I wasn't specifically looking for Christian schools but I remember coming across Loma Linda in California and Creighton in Nebraska when I was researching pharmacy schools.

As others have said, you should have no problem finding your niche, but you will have mandatory exposure to retail before you graduate. However, I think how you present yourself and your beliefs will determine how trying that rotation is. For example.. in CA, pharmacists can prescribe Plan B if they enroll in a program, and the manager at my retail pharmacy was doing it for a year or so, but then decided she didn't agree with it for whatever personal reasons and she wouldn't write the scripts anymore. There was no big announcement, no big hub-bub when people asked if we could write it, we just said there was no pharmacist who could write the script and directed them to check out other pharmacies or visit the ER. Decide where the line is ahead of time (you don't want to be figuring out where the line is while you're on your rotation; your views may mature and change throughout your education but no one's going to take you seriously if you don't seem to understand what you want or believe), be upfront about it with your supervisors/preceptors, and figure out ahead of time what you'll do when presented with a script you can't fill. As an intern, this shouldn't be a big deal because you should never be alone so if you need to pass off a script, someone will be there to fill it. Career-wise, obviously, I wouldn't take a job where you'll be expected to work by yourself and won't have any backup, but avoiding retail should eliminate this problem.

Your best bet would be to find some other pharmacists who share your beliefs and chat with them about the choices they've made and how their career has gone. If you need help finding someone to talk to, someone at your church can probably help you, or you can seek out a religious-affiliated hospital. Chances are there is a professional organization out there for Catholic pharmacists. Any of us here can tell you "it'll be fine" or "find a new job" but only you can make that decision by speaking with other pharmacists or health care providers and seeing how they've been able to make their choices within their practice.

 

[k00618]

aside from dispensing BC.. a lot of people are saying how it's important to dispense and fill all prescriptions. you all probably already know this, but JUST IN CASE .....

as a pharmacist, it's especially important nowadays to use good judgment to refuse to fill a prescription that may be used for unethical means. this may not be a pleasing example, but articles for anna nicole smith are going around saying how several pharmacists refused to fill her prescriptions
"The complaint alleges that some good pharmacists refused to fill these doctors’ prescriptions to Anna, saying that they were dangerous."
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/18/three-charged-in-anna-nicole-smith-drug-case/

especially, since overdose on prescription medication is one of the largest issues today...

as for religion.. we'll probably see some new drugs developed through stem cell research, and we'll all need to decide whether or not we choose to dispense these medications. You will most likely face more troubles in the future. I DO NOT believe you should change your ethical beliefs because your morals really define your character.

I think the best thing to do is to e-mail the dean/ admissions adviser of a Pharmacy College to ask about this situation. More than likely, they will be pleased to help you.

 

[confettiflyer]

The same goes for the protestant Catholics where they cherry pick what part of the bible is true.

You might want to look up the basic difference between a Protestant and a Catholic.

 

[rphfan2009]

I'm just going to step in here and say to some of the posters above, we should not be attacking the OP's religious beliefs. I personally am not a believer in any religions, but I do respect others beliefs. We all as individuals have a choice to believe or not believe whatever is presented to us.

I find offense in atheists trying to convince christians that there is no god as much as christians trying to convince atheists there is one.

In response to the OP's question, if you want to avoid all contact with birth control in your career, I think it is close to impossible. As far as I'm aware, all pharmacy schools require a mandatory retail rotation in your P4 year where I doubt you will get a right of refusal as an intern. Also you are still in high school and if you were planning on getting pharmacy experience before applying to pharmacy school, you are handicapping what is available to work at. But if you look at the long run, a rotations is 6 weeks, the field of pharmacy is expansive enough where you would never have to deal with birth controls for the rest of your life.

To your other questions, there are quite a few pharmacy schools that are associated with a religion. I got into Creighton which is a Jesuit school. However it's more in the sense that the school basis is founded on Ignation values, but the rules do not really run the school. I dont know if that made sense. But if you are asking about a school that adheres strictly to Catholic beliefs and teaches based off Catholic beliefs, I dont know of any.

Just on a last note. Is it possible to be a pharmacist with absolutely no exposure to BC's? Doubtful. However if you can live with some limited exposure, it is possible. Someone said this earlier but you have to realize that birth control exists and that many women are on it. You will have to know how it works and what it reacts with because chances are that you will have a patient who is on them. However whether you choose to dispense it or not is you choice in most states.

I'm a Catholic and I think the OP needs to find another career period.

My final suggestion for the OP is to go shadow a pharmacist in a high volume retail setting--somewhere they have a script count of like 400-500 a day...guaranteed the OP will change his or her mind and go seek out another career. The OP will be dumbfounded by how much birth control is being verified and filled by pharmacists daily. The OP needs to get real about the profession and quit judging patients for their contraceptive decisons.

 

[Sparda29]

My supervisor is also Catholic and he has no qualms about dispensing birth control and Plan B. I don't have any qualms about adults using it, but I'm not as comfortable dispensing it to teenagers. But yeah, you're gonna be exposed to it. You can go into pharmacy and specialize in something like Infectious Disease/Oncology, which is pretty much what I'm going to do since I know I'm not going to work retail pharmacy, too much filling, not enough thinking involved there.

 

[rphfan2009]

My supervisor is also Catholic and he has no qualms about dispensing birth control and Plan B. I don't have any qualms about adults using it, but I'm not as comfortable dispensing it to teenagers. But yeah, you're gonna be exposed to it. You can go into pharmacy and specialize in something like Infectious Disease/Oncology, which is pretty much what I'm going to do since I know I'm not going to work retail pharmacy, too much filling, not enough thinking involved there.

Agreed

 

[dreezy10]

Do you think it is harsh to tell him to find another career, just because he doesnt want to dispense one type of medication?????????

He could work hard and become an expert in cardio therapeutics, or in neurology, or pathology.

I think the best advice would be specialization. My pharmacist doesn't want to dispense nuclear medication, but he is excellent with the medication he does dispense. so should he pursue another career???

Of course not!!!!

I am not religious at all, but i can understand where he is coming from. just go into a specialization where birth control is not a focus. But like some above said, if you wanna do retail, you will be exposed to that area of pharmacy daily.

The people saying find another career aren''t really trying to help you, or give you GOOD advice. They are just hating on you.

Dreezy10

 

[dreezy10]

And ALSO:

I disagree with the OP, and believe in Pro choice, abortion, and birth control. but I'm not gonna push a young individual away, who could be great at the career, just because he has differing beliefs than mine like some of the above posters.

Haters.

 

[BearDown]

There are certainly other avenues for a pharmacist to go into without having to deal with Rxs. However, religion is a personal choice and one cannot and should not force his or her beliefs onto someone else (ie, not giving BC or Plan B). I guarantee the person receiving either of these drugs does not care about your religion and should not have to deal with the consequences your "faith" has taught you.

Instead of a Pharm D. go into research and get a MS or Ph.D.

 

[Jdario86]

If my pharmacist is a satanist, does he have a right to exercise his religious beliefs in a pharmacy?

 

[inquirer89]

I agree with dreezy10, if you want to pursue pharmacy then there are other areas of the degree that you can explore that does not have to deal with you dispensing birth control. If you still have trouble with the conflict, then look into another career.

As a Catholic and a future pharmer, I respect your stance and hope you find your niche. Me personally, I'm not against birth control but I'm also pretty liberal in my religious beliefs.

 

[inmotion]

Wish granted ... pick a new profession. If you don't approve of birth control, then don't take it. Otherwise, you would just be using your degree to play god, a task which will ultimately fail. Your patient will still receive the medication in the end, but you will have created extra work for your colleagues and piled your sanctimony on the shoulders of someone who may already be carrying the burden of rape or incest. Why on earth would you want to go into health care if you can't step up to the plate? It's not like there's a shortage of applicants to medical professional schools; there are many of us out there who will provide health care with no strings attached. If the checkout lady at the grocery store refused to scan your milk because she was a vegan, wouldn't you wonder why she chose that job?

 

[tomk]

for those that are being harsh on the people who think he shouldn't be a pharmacist,

how would you feel about a pharmacist who refuses to fill prescriptions for pain relievers (say his religion believes that pain purifies the soul or something wacky like that, or refuses because they believe in not taking any type of opiate based drugs)

or a scientologist who refuses to fill any type of prescription that deals with mental health

and so on and so on.

while you may think the scenarios above are stupid, but what you think of the pharmacists above is what the majority think about pharmacists who won't prescribe birth control or anything else based on their religion.

for myself, when i look for any type of medical personnel, im looking for the one that is most concerned with my physical health, not his personal spiritual health. this is probably why the majority of people think he shouldn't become a pharmacist period. because he is more concerned with his religion than the patients health.

you might say its just birth control and abortion type drugs, but what happens if a decree comes down from the vatican about something else, say such as opiate based drugs, stem cell related stuff, etc etc. i know its a slippery slope argument, but its still there.
Personally, I want a professional who is doing whats best for me physically, not spiritually.

 

[themulya]

for those that are being harsh on the people who think he shouldn't be a pharmacist,

how would you feel about a pharmacist who refuses to fill prescriptions for pain relievers (say his religion believes that pain purifies the soul or something wacky like that, or refuses because they believe in not taking any type of opiate based drugs)

or a scientologist who refuses to fill any type of prescription that deals with mental health

and so on and so on.

A person can be opposed to these things and still be a pharmacist. of course to graduate they would need to accept the fact that they would have some exposure to it in their retail training. However if they can deal with that fact, they can go on in to some other field of pharmacy besides retail/hospital where they would never have to deal with dispensing these medications again.

 

[confettiflyer]

just follow what my Italian friend told me one day, "We Italians...we like to make lots of sin during the week and then go to church on Sunday."

But really...no matter what you do, you're going to be exposed to situations that you don't like. I mean, if you're a delivery guy for UPS and a shipment of plastic dildos and paraphernalia comes onto your truck, do you refuse delivery because you're against masturbation? (Pretend it's not discreet packaging).

Shoot, if you're a bookstore worker, do you refuse to sell the 30 year old perv at the counter that copy of "18 year old poon" because you're against pornography?

Finally, do you still object to OC's if a pt presents a valid Rx for dysmenorrhea? Or how about treating a gnarly case of acne? If not, you won't be able to tell these pt's from the busty town bicycle because chances are the script won't have an indication. Good luck there.

You can certain be a pharmacist and find a niche considering your objections, but you're probably going to face such a situation at least once during your formative years & later on. Be prepared to put the patient first and slide into the confession booth the next available Saturday if you just happened to call out a copy for Jolessa or something. Just being realistic about what you'll face.

 

[a runner]

A person can be opposed to these things and still be a pharmacist. of course to graduate they would need to accept the fact that they would have some exposure to it in their retail training. However if they can deal with that fact, they can go on in to some other field of pharmacy besides retail/hospital where they would never have to deal with dispensing these medications again.

Agreed.

Obviously the OP knows that if he were to refuse to fill a prescription, the person would go somewhere else and have it filled. He simply doesn't want to take part in something that he views as medically or morally wrong for him to do. That doesn't necessarily mean that he thinks it is wrong for others to use birth control, because they don't necessarily share the same burden of belief that he does. So in that sense, to those of you who say that he is judging others, you err in your logic. He may be judging, but not necessarily, and I see no indication to make the assumption that he positively is.

The OP even says he wants to make sure he avoids this conflict in the first place and some of you make it seem like he wants to rule the world and make it so NOBODY can get BC/plan B. Nowhere did I see him indicate that was his intention. In fact, it seems he wants to avoid this altogether.

I have no problem with BC/plan B myself, but I do have a problem with those that want to dictate morals to other people, by saying how others should act. If you are trying to dictate what the OP should or should not be able to do as a pharmacist, you are pushing your moral values onto him, which is wrong. The OP is not here saying that people should stop taking BC, he is simply deciding what is right for him.

To the OP: obviously you are smart for your age, knowing beforehand how others would judge you for your stance. I commend you for it, and though I disagree, stick with what you believe is right. You might just change your mind later on. Your beliefs are not incompatible with pharmacy, there ARE pharmacists that DO share your beliefs, and those that are saying to choose another profession want to make sure that their morals are in the majority.

 

[mike36]

Imagine you are a critical patient in the ED that needs a blood transfusion STAT, but your doctor is a Jehovah's Witness...Oh well...I guess you will just have to die then because you're doctor is against blood transfusions. How ******ed is that?!

As a health care professional, it is your RESPONSIBILITY to act in a professional manner as an advocate for your patient, no matter his or her beliefs.

Hell, I believe abortions are wrong, but that is my PERSONAL belief. It is not my place to push my beliefs onto my patients. If I were an M.D. treating a critical patient that would die without an abortion, I would absolutely, without a doubt, perform the abortion procedure to save my patient's life. No question in my mind. Yes, I would mourn the loss of a child, but my patient would live.

I know this is a little off topic from the OP's question, but I just get so damned irritated at these "holier than thou" pharmacists that think they can withhold treatment from a patient just because they don't believe in the same God, or religion, or whatever.

 

[dreezy10]

If my pharmacist is a satanist, does he have a right to exercise his religious beliefs in a pharmacy?

Of course not, if it is harmful to the patient in any way, of course not. but what relevance does that question really have????

Everyone agrees that no one should force their beliefs on anyone, and no one should use their positions in pharmacy to force religious beliefs. but at the same time, a persons faith may give them strength to be great at what they do. I see Athletes, Rappers, Rockers, Actors, and even one of the Best neurologist in the nation (Ben Carson) say that they could not be great at what they do without their faith.

You're question about the satanist is pointless. you already know the answer to that.

Why does everyone keep using stories of the "abusive pharmacist/doctor" that won't give treatment because of their beliefs. Are there any real examples of this???

Dreezy10