Woman refused ECP because of pharmacist’s religion

A Muslim pharmacist told a Birmingham woman that it was against her religion to sell the emergency contraceptive pill. 

The 31-year-old mother went to her local Lloyds Pharmacy, in High Street, Smethwick to buy the ECP, reported the Birmingham Mail on 26 August. But pharmacist Aleysha Begum, a temp filling in for the usual chemist, refused to prescribe the pill, saying she was morally and religiously against it.

Lloyds Pharmacy said the national code of conduct allows pharmacists to refuse to sell the pill on religious grounds - whatever their religion. But a spokeswoman added that the pharmacist must give the patient details of another chemist where they can get the ECP. An investigation is now under way by Lloyds into whether correct procedures were followed by Ms Begum. Ms Begum refused to comment after taking advice from Lloyds.

Nick Mortimer, the superintendent pharmacist at Lloyds pharmacy said: ‘Regrettably we do not have any record of receiving a complaint from this customer. But we have asked the Mail to provide us with full details which will enable us to fully investigate the matter. In the meantime we would point out that The Code of Ethics governing the professional conduct of pharmacists states that, if supplying the morning after pill is contrary to a pharmacist’s personal religious or moral beliefs, they are entirely within their rights not to do so.’

The woman, from Smethwick, said she was left not knowing what to do and too frightened to go into another chemist in the area, thinking she would be refused again. ‘I could see the morning after pill on the shelf, but the pharmacist said she was Muslim and she would not give it to me due to her religious and moral beliefs,’ she said. ‘I didn’t know they could do that and was stunned. It was the first time I had ever asked for it and felt terribly embarrassed in front of the other customers. The shop assistant said the normal pharmacist would have given it but Ms Begum was filling in for him.’

She added: ‘If it is someone’s job to prescribe drugs then they should. I am not a Muslim and as a British woman am entitled to purchase the morning after pill but that right was taken away from me.’

The medical body overseeing pharmacists, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, advises pharmacists they have a right to refuse to give the morning after pill.

Row after woman is refused the pill, Birmingham Mail, 26 August 2006