Updated 06/18/2007 05:47 PM
Plan B not offered in 40% of NC pharmacies
GREENSBORO -- "This is a crucial medication to have available for women in their communities," said NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina Statewide organizer Amy Woodell.
But a new study by the organization shows that 40 percent of pharmacies in North Carolina don't carry emergency contraceptives. It's been available over-the-counter since August 2006.
"That's a great concern for us in terms of compassionate care particularly for rape victims," said Woodell.
It's a statistic that pharmacist and pharmacy owner Frank Burton is on the other end of -- he carries Plan B.
"I do feel that any pharmacist has an obligation to stock and to dispense any legitimate pharmaceutical product that there is a medicinal need for," said Burton.
The study found nearly one-fourth of pharmacists surveyed thought that emergency contraception was the same as the abortion pill.
“The abortion pill is actually something different called RU-486, and it's not available over-the-counter in pharmacies and it does cause an abortion, but Plan B is actually just birth control. It's just pregnancy prevention," said Woodell.
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"From a moral stand point, there's no reason to have any issue with this product and not have one with any other forms of birth control," said Burton.
Right to Life groups agree up to a point.
The N.C. Right to Life organization released this statement about emergency contraception:
"If in the best medical judgment of the physicians, the drug or drugs will cause an abortion, N.C. Right to Life strongly opposes the taking of the drug. If the drug(s) will prevent fertilization, N.C. Right to Life takes no position."
The Catholic Church is taking a strong stand against Plan B.
“I'd like to applaud those 40 percent of pharmacists in North Carolina who are refusing to carry this over-the-counter contraception or abortion, and I wish that all 100 percent of the pharmacies in North Carolina would follow suit with that," said David Haines, director of Communications for the Diocese of Charlotte.
"There have been pharmacists fired for not dispensing medications on moral grounds and I have no problem with that because that is not the reason why you are behind the pharmacy counter in the first place,” said Burton.
Larger chain pharmacies make it their corporate policy to stock Plan B but it may still vary from store to store whether or not they actually carry it.