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Gabrielle Jeter
Sarah Clement
PHM-110
June 11, 2013
An Ethical Dilemma within the Pharmacy: The Conflict between Pro-Life Pharmacists and the Distribution of Contraception
“An ethical dilemma is any situation in which guiding moral principles cannot determine which course of action is right or wrong (Flamand).” As human beings we have faced or may face an ethical dilemma at some point in our lives. In knowing this, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are faced with such dilemmas on a daily basis. For instance, there are pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who feel as if distributing a prescription for a contraceptive to a patient violates the moral standards that they uphold due to pro-life stances. Across the United
States, women are being met by “pro-life pharmacists” who will not dispense birth control and/or emergency contraception because it violates their religious beliefs.
Moreover, some pharmacists even refuse to transfer prescriptions to another pharmacy or ask a pharmacist in their own store to serve the customer. The refusing pharmacists claim they are acting because of their convictions that birth control pills are tantamount to abortion, a notion that is disputed by every major medical association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
These unethical refusals jeopardize women’s health and safety by placing them at risk for unintended pregnancy (Perspectives: Pharmacy Refusals - A New Threat to Women's Health ).
Therefore, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should use proper professional judgment and uphold the ethical standards/medical ethics of the pharmacy practice.

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Exercising professional judgment requires the pharmacist and pharmacy technician to have knowledge of the standards of practice for pharmacists and technicians, and the job description of the pharmacy in which they are employed in order to make ethical decisions
(Mohr 404). Therefore, pro-life pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should use professional judgment by recognizing that the health and well-being of the patient is most important. Pro-life pharmacists/technicians should also use professional judgment by taking into consideration that birth control; the pill in particular is not just used to prevent pregnancy. The birth control pill can be used to treat various medical conditions such as acne, bone thinning, endometrial and ovarian cancers, iron deficiency anemia, and offers protection against pelvic inflammatory disease (Birth
Control Pills ). Furthermore, pharmacists and technicians should not let their personal beliefs prevent them from modeling the ethical and medical standards put in place by the government and the pharmacy practice.
All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians whether they are pro-life, pro-choice, or indifferent must abide by the ethical standards that are based on basic patient rights. The ethical standards include: The welfare of the patient is the chief aspect of a pharmacist and pharmacy technician’s practice; the patient should be treated fairly regardless of his or her race, beliefs, economic status, medical condition, or sexual orientation; patients have the right to receive adequate and precise information about their health; patients have the right to expect that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will be educated enough to be skilled at preparing their medications; patients are justified in expecting that the pharmacist and pharmacy technician will be attentive and respond to their requests when it comes to their pharmaceutical care; lastly, patients have the right to expect that their health information be kept confidential (Mohr 80).
There are times when ethical dilemmas cannot be avoided even when the aforementioned

Jeter 3 standards a strictly followed. Therefore, a plan must be implemented by the pharmacist and pharmacy technician to properly deal with the dilemma.
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must examine the practice setting that they will be working in before an ethical dilemma occurs. For example, if a pharmacist or pharmacy technician is uncomfortable with dispensing contraceptives then he or she should reconsider working in a hospital, retail chain, or independently owned pharmacy. However, if the individual wants to be employed at either one of the previously mentioned settings, then they should tell the interviewer about any possible alternatives that may be available during the interviewing process. For instance, if a pharmacist or pharmacy technician feels as if his or her personal code of ethics is being violated when having to prepare a prescription for a birth control pill, he or she could ask another pharmacist or pharmacy technician to complete the task (Mohr 84). If an unexpected ethical dilemma arises the following steps can be followed to resolve the issue:
“Gather as much pertinent information about the issue as possible in the amount of time available. Second, carefully identify the problem(s). Do not act in haste. If possible, discuss the problem with the pharmacist or other technicians. Third, analyze the situation and try to identify several possible alternatives. Fourth, choose the best of the alternatives to solve the problem. Fifth, when time permits, evaluate the solution chosen for future reference. Sixth, did your solution produce the results desired? Lastly, if not, what could have been done differently (Mohr 83)?”
On the face of it, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are faced with ethical dilemmas daily. One of the prominent dilemmas is dealing with the distribution of contraceptives.
Therefore, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should use professional judgment when confronted with preparing a prescription for a contraceptive. Proper professional judgment provides both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with the framework necessary to make ethical decisions.

Works Cited
Birth Control Pills . n.d. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-
Jeter 4 control-pill-4228.htm. 8 June 2013.
Flamand, Lee. What Is an Ethical Dilemma?
n.d. http://www.ehow.com/about_5481837_ethicaldilemma_.html. 7 June 2013.
Mohr, Mary E. Standards of Practice for the Technician . Philadelphia : Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins , 2010.
Perspectives: Pharmacy Refusals - A New Threat to Women's Health . n.d. http://www.rcrc.org/calltojustice/perspectives_pharmacy.php. 7 June 2013.