Woman Claims Pharmacist Refused To Fill Her Miscarriage Drug On Moral Grounds
The Arizona State Board of Pharmacy is investigating the allegations. Meanwhile, the scandal at USC has lead to a moment of reckoning and reflection in the gynecology field.
The Associated Press:
Pharmacist Denies Woman Miscarriage Drug On Moral Grounds
The Arizona State Board of Pharmacy will investigate the complaint of a woman who says a Walgreens pharmacist refused to give her medication necessary to end her pregnancy after her baby stopped developing. The woman, who the Arizona Republic identified as Nicole Arteaga, described in a viral Facebook post how she was publicly humiliated when attempting to fill the prescription to end her pregnancy — a pregnancy she wanted, but needed to terminate because she would ultimately miscarry. She says the pharmacist refused to fill the prescription with other customers within earshot and she left the location in tears with her 7-year-old child by her side. (6/25)
Bloomberg:
Walgreens Beefs Up Pharmacist Training After Woman Denied Drug
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. will revamp its training after an Arizona woman said she was humiliated when a pharmacist, citing personal objections, refused to fill a prescription to treat her miscarriage. In an incident that sparked heated commentary on social media, a pharmacist at a Walgreens store in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria wouldn’t dispense a miscarriage drug for Nicole Mone Arteaga, who had just found out that her baby’s development had stopped. (Langreth and Kasumov, 6/25)
Arizona Republic:
Pharmacy Board Investigating Walgreens Pharmacist Who Denied Meds
Nicole Arteaga described in a viral Facebook post how she unsuccessfully tried to pick up a medication that would terminate a wanted pregnancy after her doctor determined the baby had no heartbeat. The pharmacist refused to fill the prescription, citing his ethics. He did not relent even after both she and her husband attempted to explain the situation. “I stood at the mercy of this pharmacist explaining my situation in front of my 7-year-old, and five customers behind only to be denied because of his ethic(al) beliefs,” she wrote in a Facebook post Friday that has been shared nearly 37,000 times. (Burkitt, 6/25)
Los Angeles Times:
USC Scandal Sparks A Reckoning In Gynecology: How To Better Protect Patients?
For some USC students who visited campus gynecologist George Tyndall, it was obvious right away that something was wrong. They said he touched them in inappropriate ways, made bizarre comments and acted unprofessionally. Others said they left feeling uneasy but weren’t sure what to make of Tyndall’s behavior. It wasn’t until the Los Angeles Times revealed years of misconduct allegations against the doctor that these patients said they began to come to terms with those exams. (Karlamangla, 6/25)
