Moral Opposition

Ill. Druggists Must Dispense Birth Control

Governor Blagojevich may be many things, but timid is not one of them. Putting an emergency rule in place to force pharmacists to provide birth control pills to patients with prescriptions opens up a can of worms that needs to be opened, though, as other states pass laws allowing medical professionals to refuse treatment for any reason. Being a doctor or a pharmacist is a special duty, and it does not allow room for discrimination between those of whom one approves and those one does not.

Fortunately, this is one issue that Democrats are probably on the right side of politically. I don't think there are many people who think pharmacists should hassle and lecture women who have been prescribed birth control pills. Pandering to people's interest in their children may be effective politics, but trying to force people to have them isn't.