Target pharmacists and Plan B®

The following is a copy of an email I sent to Target this evening:

I am writing about recent news reports about a Target policy that allows its staff pharmacists to refuse to fill a legal prescription based on their personal judgment. Specifically, I believe that this practice affects women who attempt to fill prescriptions for the Plan B® emergency contraceptive.

As a father of three daughters, I am horrified to think that, God forbid, should one of them be raped, official Target policy would permit one of your pharmacists to refuse to fill their Plan B® prescription. I can certainly find no legal or moral justification for such a policy.

I have been a loyal Target customer for nearly 25 years, and I have always held your company in high regard. One of my daughters was even a Target employee while attending college. However, your company's policy on this issue makes continuance of my relationship with Target very difficult. I urge you to end this policy, and require every Target pharmacist to fill any legal prescription that is presented, including prescriptions for Plan B®.

In closing, let me remind you of the pharmacist's oath:

At this time, I vow to devote my professional life to the service of all humankind through the profession of pharmacy.

I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of human suffering my primary concerns.

I will apply my knowledge, experience, and skills to the best of my ability to assure optimal drug therapy outcomes for the patients I serve.

I will keep abreast of developments and maintain professional competency in my profession of pharmacy.

I will maintain the highest principles of moral, ethical, and legal conduct.

I will embrace and advocate change in the profession of pharmacy that improves patient care.

I take these vows voluntarily with the full realization of the responsibility with which I am entrusted by the public.

Sincerely,
Craig Ziesman

Several members of the blogosphere are advocating a boycott of Target. I am not ready to take that step. As I said in my email to Target, I have a lot of respect for Target. They have been a pretty good corporate citizen, especially when compared with Walmart. I even applied for a job at company headquarters a couple of years ago when I was unemployed, but they didn't invite me to interview. I didn't even hold that against Target.

I believe that if enough of us express our reasoned objections to this wrongheaded policy, Target will get the message and do the right thing. So, get busy!