Pharmacists Believe They Should Have Authority to Refuse Emergency Contraception Prescriptions.

FLEMINGTON, N.J. -- A new national survey of 859 American pharmacists revealed that a clear majority of pharmacists believe that they should have the authority to refuse to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception.

The national survey was conducted by HCD Research during December 3-4, to obtain the views of pharmacists in response to recent media reports that four pharmacists were suspended by the Walgreen Co. in Illinois for refusing to fill emergency contraception prescriptions.

Among the findings:

--69% of the pharmacists indicated that pharmacists should have the authority to refuse filling prescriptions for emergency contraception such as the morning after pill.

--While 39% of pharmacists indicated that state laws should not require them to fill certain prescriptions, a significantly smaller percentage of pharmacists (23%) believe that the patient's rights should prevail if a legal drug is prescribed by a doctor.

--37% of pharmacists feel that although they should have the right to refuse, they should also be required to refer patients to another pharmacist who will fill the prescription.

--63% of pharmacists do not think that Walgreen should have put the four pharmacists on unpaid leave for refusing to fill the emergency contraception prescriptions, and only 29% felt that Walgreen was justified in its action.

"While a vast majority of pharmacists believe that they should have the authority to refuse filling prescriptions for the morning after pill, they are split regarding whether they should be required to refer consumers to a pharmacist who will fill the prescription," commented Glenn Kessler, co-founder and managing partner, HCD Research.

"In a physicians' poll that we conducted in July, an overwhelming majority of physicians supported the requirement that pharmacists fill prescriptions for the morning after pill," continued Kessler. "In that poll, we did not give them the option of indicating whether it was acceptable for pharmacists to choose not to fill the prescription and refer the patient to another pharmacist. However, with 79% of physicians indicating that pharmacists should be required to fill the prescription, it is clear that there is a very strong consensus."

To view detailed results for the pharmacists' poll, please go to: http://publish.hcdhealth.com/C0007/

Editors/Reporters: For more information on the poll, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, co-founder and managing partner, HCD Research, please contact Vince McGourty, M&M Communications, Inc., at [phone] or ([e-mail]).

HCD Research is a marketing and communications research company headquartered in Flemington, N.J. The company's services include traditional and web-based marketing and communications research. HCD Research is also the developer of hcdhealth.com, a web site for health care professionals. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company's web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.