Not only are pharmacists refusing to fill legitimate prescriptions for Plan B and even monthly birth control (based on urban legends in the dominionist community promoted by groups like Pharmacists for Life International claiming they are a form of abortion), not only is approval of a vaccine for HPV (which, incidentially, would be the first effective vaccine for cancer, as 99 percent of all cervical and penile cancer is caused by HPV) being fought by dominionist groups even as it has completed phase III trials (because HPV is a cause of genital warts)...

...but per this livejournal entry there are now reports that dominionist pharmacists are refusing to fill scripts for (and occasionally destroying the scripts for) *any* prescriptions they feel may be for an STD (in this case, this was for Valtrex, a medication that is used for herpesviruses in general).

In this case, this can be lifethreatening--antivirals of the same class are used for herpesviruses besides herpes simplex II (which is genital herpes).

Genital herpes (herpes simplex II) is one of a family of anywhere between nine and twelve human herpesviruses, which include herpes simplex I (oral herpes--cold sores), herpes zoster aka varicella (cause of chickenpox and shingles when the varicella virus reactivates in adults), Epstein-Barr virus (aka mononucleosis--which has also been linked to Wilms tumour and Burkitt's lymphoma), cytomegalovirus (a common complication in HIV patients which can cause blindness), etc.

A very common reason for prescription of drugs like Valtrex *besides* genital herpes is for kids who are leukemic or have depressed immune systems to prevent complications from exposure to chickenpox--most of those kids also *cannot* have the chickenpox shot, as it's a live vaccine, and exposure to chickenpox can be life threatening; even adults who have never had the chickenpox who are exposed are typically given a course of varicella antiglobulin *along* with a course of Valtrex--in the hope that the VAB will prevent infection, the latter will hopefully make it less severe. (Chickenpox *reactivating* in adults can cause shingles, which is quite painful (and another reason why Valtrex is prescribed); in adults full blown chickenpox commonly hospitalises people and even kills them--Hawaii state legislature representative Patsy Mink died from chickenpox pneumonia as a result of catching it as an adult.)

Another reason that Valtrex is prescribed is--interestingly--cancer. (Yes, seriously.) As it turns out, Kaposi's sarcoma is (much like cervical cancer and penile cancer) one of the few cancers definitely linked to a virus--specifically, human herpesvirus 8. Ironically, it was partly because of so many HIV patients getting Kaposi's sarcoma that doctors realised it was a virally caused cancer, and we can now treat it using drugs that attack other herpesviruses (including Valtrex).

Valtrex is also prescribed to patients with particularly severe cases of mono or who are subject to severe complications from mono (for example, people who have had to have their spleens surgically removed).

Related drugs to Valtrex, and occasionally Valtrex itself, are also used in people who are exposed to non-human herpesviruses. (Generally herpesviruses that are not fatal to other primates are fatal to humans and vice versa; herpesvirus B, which occurs in macacques, is almost invariably fatal in humans without *immediate* treatment with anti-herpetic antivirals like Valtrex and ganciclovir. In fact, in many zoos and research facilities, it is standard procedure that if more than one monkey dies in a 24 hour period or if monkeys die after seeming ill *all* workers who worked with them go on *immediate* preventive courses of Valtrex in case the monkey had herpesvirus B. It's considered that dangerous to people.)

I'll be writing up a larger article for Talk2Action on the whole medical refusal thing tonight.

UPDATES:

a) Per discussion on the thread, apparently the case involves a pharmacy in Tennessee--a state where it *is* apparently legal for a pharmacist to refuse to fill a prescription but must post a warning in writing at the counter at the start of their shift.

b) Below is a list of states (per Fill My Pills Now) who have proposed moral refusal clauses that are so broad as to allow denial of any medication for reasons as simple as the pharmacist disagreeing with "the prescribee's lifestyle". Some have proposed moral refusal clauses so broad as to include emergency personnel and to allow refusals for almost any reason (theoretically, an EMT could refuse to provide life support to a gay person because they "disagreed with their lifestyle"). Two states, Mississippi and Georgia, *already* have loose "moral refusal" statues which would legally allow this:

Arkansas

Arkansas Senate Bill 1141:

Pharmacists and other health care providers may refuse to participate in a health care service, including dispensing any drug, device or medication, that violates their conscience.

Arkansas Code 20-16-304:

“[N]othing in this subchapter shall prohibit a physician, pharmacist, or any other authorized paramedical personnel from refusing to furnish any contraceptive procedures, supplies, or information.”

Georgia

Georgia Code 480-5-.03:

The Georgia Code of Professional Conduct states that “[i]t shall not be considered unprofessional conduct for any pharmacist to refuse to fill a prescription based on his or her … ethical or moral beliefs.”

Mississippi

Mississippi Code 41-107-5:

Health care providers (including pharmacists and pharmacy employees) have the right not to participate in a health care service that violates their conscience. However, this subsection does not allow a health care provider to refuse to participate in a health care service regarding a patient because of the patient's race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed or sexual orientation.”

(Dominionists have been attempting to get the "sexual orientation" section of this stricken from the law.)

Rhode Island

Rhode Island House Bill Number 5085:

Pharmacists and other health care providers may refuse to participate in a health care service, including dispensing any drug, device or medication, that violates their conscience.

South Dakota

South Dakota House Bill Number 1255
(seriously considered - tabled) :

Pharmacists and other health care providers may refuse to participate in a health care service, including dispensing any drug, device or medication, that violates their conscience.

Tennessee

Tennessee Senate Bill Number 76:

A pharmacist may not be required to fill a prescription that violates his or her “ethical or religious principles,” but must give written notice of the intent to refuse to his/her supervisor who must post notice about the refusal at the pharmacy counter.

(This involves the Valtrex refusal--apparently it IS legal to refuse to fill a prescription for any medication, but the pharmacist has to warn their supervisor, and has to post a warning at the counter. No info on what happens if the pharmacist IS the supervisor.)

Texas

Texas House Bill Number 2061:

Pharmacies and pharmacists, among other health care providers, may refuse to provide or participate in the provision of health care services on ethical, moral, or religious grounds, except in a medical emergency.

Vermont

Vermont House Bill Number 183:

Pharmacists and other health care providers may refuse to participate in a health care service, including dispensing any drug, device or medication, that violates their conscience.