For Immediate Release:
March 25,
2008
Media Contact: Andrea Gage
414-213-3717
(cell)
Reprimand of Extreme
Pharmacist Stands
Madison,
WI- The 3rd District Court of Appeals today upheld the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining
Board’s (PEB) reprimand of Neil Noesen, the state-licensed
pharmacist who refused to fill or transfer a woman’s birth control
prescription in Menomonie in 2002. The court affirmed the PEB decision that Noesen’s actions violated the standard of care for
pharmacists in Wisconsin and put patients and the public
at risk of harm.
This case
is an important reminder of what the law expects of pharmacists contemplating
blocking a woman’s access to legally prescribed birth control pills. It
also reaffirms the PEB’s authority to
discipline pharmacists in Wisconsin who refuse to fill or transfer a
woman’s birth control prescription.
“While
most pharmacists would not dream of violating their ethical obligations to
patients, we know there are increasing instances of pharmacist refusal by a
small group of renegade pharmacists in Wisconsin,” said PPAWI Public Policy
Analyst Nicole Safar. “Today’s decision clearly shows that in Wisconsin, we expect pharmacists to ensure
access to legally prescribed birth control and to refrain from subjecting a
woman to discrimination or delay at the pharmacy counter.”
Wisconsin law and ethical codes outline the
standard of care expected from a minimally competent licensed pharmacist. Refusing to facilitate access to a legal
prescription for birth control pills and confiscating that prescription clearly
violated the standard of care articulated under our laws. To provide even
further clarification for pharmacists, the Senate passed the Birth Control Protection Act on March
13, which would ensure that no woman is ever refused her birth control
prescription at a pharmacy counter in Wisconsin again. The bill, which has the
support of the Pharmacy Examining Board, did not receive a hearing in the
Assembly.
To set up
an interview with a member of the PPAWI Legal Team, contact Andrea Gage at
414-213-3717.
To learn
more about the Birth Control Protection
Act, visit www.ppawi.org/legislation.
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Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is the advocacy arm of Planned
Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI). The mission of PPWI is to
empower all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through
direct services, education, and advocacy. www.ppawi.org