Are You Listening Target? Fill My Pills Now!
- by: Care2
- recipient: Robert J. Ulrich, CEO, Target Inc.
Imagine walking into a store with a valid prescription for a pressing medical need and being told by the pharmacist that he or she won't fill it.
Yes, it's outrageous, but that is exactly what happened to a 26-year-old woman recently who presented a prescription for emergency contraception (EC) at a Target store in Fenton, Missouri. And it has happened to other women in cities across the country.
Target requires its pharmacists to fill all prescriptions presented by their customers with one notable exception - emergency contraception. So far, the company has failed to explain why EC has been arbitrarily singled out for refusal while all other medications must be filled. It amounts to a policy of gender discrimination because the hardship falls squarely upon women.
Store policy should never interfere with a patient's ability to get legal medication in a timely manner and without embarrassment. That's why it's critical that consumers and activists stand together to strongly oppose this growing form of gender discrimination.
Send a letter demanding that Target stores dispense medication, not moral judgment!
Dear Mr. Ulrich:
I am writing to demand that Target stores dispense medication, not moral judgment. Individual bias against filling certain prescriptions should NEVER interfere with a patient's ability to get medication in store, without discrimination or delay.
As a consumer, I will think twice about spending my money at any pharmacy that does not adopt and make public a policy allowing women to purchase the products they need, in particular, prescriptions for birth control such as emergency contraception.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
