Imagine this scenario: A man shopping in Target stops by the pharmacy to get his prescription for Lipotor (a cholesterol lowering drug) filled. The pharmacist refuses to fill it, stating that it�s against his principles to do so. He explains to the man: you�re overweight; you�ve got fatty foods and cigarettes in your shopping cart. If you can�t be bothered to live the life you should in order to remain healthy, I�m not going to support that choice by giving you a drug that allows you to circumvent a healthy lifestyle.

I have a feeling that pharmacist would be fired.

"I have a feeling that pharmacist would be fired."

Yeah, but it'd be worth it. :D

I'm not anyway involved with Target, but I know someone who works at a Target pharmacy. I was talking to him last night over dinner about this, and he said that Target has asked all of its pharmacists to fax in a form detailing their preferences on filling Plan B. If the pharmacist has deeply held religious beliefs that would prevent him from filling the perscription, he would be required to direct the customer to a pharmacist who doesn't have such an objection.

So, I'd chill and see what happens. You know how large companies can be slow to move sometimes.

I've been a big fan of Target since before it was fashionable, but no more. Here are a few questions I'd like answers to:

1. When did pharmacists get veto power in making decisions about appropriate health care? Don't patients get to make decisions about their own health care in conjunction with physicians?

2. Would any of the Target-supported pharmacists who "object" to performing their basic job responsibilities in relation to a woman's health "object" to filling a prescription for Viagra for a single male?

3. How does a pharmacist's inner conflict about professional behavior trump the company's legal obligation to offer its services to all customers, regardless of their demographic data? Would Target support a pharmacist's right to refuse to fill prescriptions for Hispanic or Asian shoppers? How about shoppers over the age of 65? Then how does Target get away with refusing to serve women with legitimate medical needs?

Target, you're part of my past, and you always will be, but it's time for us to part.

The previous posters are almost certainly right; I would bet any amount of money that the same pharmacists whose "principles" forbid the prescription of Plan B (which according to some reports I've read is not even an abortifacient, and if that's true, I really don't get the objection) would have no problem whatsoever filling scrips for Viagra. Be an interesting experiment to try, if anyone were so inclined.

But why let your response be limited to outrage? We could take a leaf from the nice righties who have shown us the power of voting with your $, and of making your voice heard. It is not a coincidence that the "mainstream media" can now be relied upon to support the Bush administration and the corporatocracy in general, nor that so many corporations support right-wing causes. Only our actions and voices as consumers can counter this trend.

Here is the link you could use if you wanted to send an e-mail to Target telling them that they will get no more of your hard-earned money until they resolve this situation to your satisfaction (they do not make this easy to find on their website):

http://www.target.com/exec/obidos/handle-generic-form/${0}/601-0045009-3516145?action=next%2dpage&target=help%2fself%2dservice%2demail%2dform%2ehtml&display=tsq&browse=1041342&method=GET%c2

Remember, polite and professional is better than a screaming screed. Unfortunately, I am not a Target cardholder; I would expect that people who are would have even more voice at Target. A cut and returned card would probably get more attention than random e-mail. Just sayin'

Note: obviously this is my own personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of salon.com nor that of any employee or representative of salon.com. Salon.com is not responsible for the opinions or statements of subsrcibers or posters to its site.

So I wrote a polite letter to Target saying that I won't shop there until they reverse their policy of putting pharmacists' religious beliefs ahead of their customers' health. Their response appears below.

Dear Target Guest

In our ongoing effort to provide great service to our guests, Target consistently ensures that prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also requires us to accommodate our team members� sincerely held religious beliefs.

In the rare event that a pharmacist�s beliefs conflict with filling a guest�s prescription for the emergency contraceptive Plan B, our policy requires our pharmacists to take responsibility for ensuring that the guest�s prescription is filled in a timely and respectful manner, either by another Target pharmacist or a different pharmacy.

The emergency contraceptive Plan B is the only medication for which this policy applies.

Under no circumstances can the pharmacist prevent the prescription from being filled, make discourteous or judgmental remarks, or discuss his or her religious beliefs with the guest.

Target abides by all state and local laws and, in the event that other laws conflict with our policy, we follow the law.

We're surprised and disappointed by Planned Parenthood�s negative campaign. We�ve been talking with Planned Parenthood to clarify our policy and reinforce our commitment to ensuring that our guests� prescriptions for the emergency contraceptive Plan B are filled. Our policy is similar to that of many other retailers and follows the recommendations of the American Pharmacists Association. That�s why it�s unclear why Target is being singled out.

We�re committed to meeting the needs of our female guests and will continue to deliver upon that commitment.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hanson

Target Executive Offices