US Pharm. 2015;40(8):HS11.
San Francisco, CA—A federal appeals court has ruled that the state of Washington can require a pharmacy to deliver medication even if the pharmacy’s owner has a religious objection. The ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco came in a case filed by pharmacists who objected to delivering emergency contraceptives. The court said that the rules are constitutional because they rationally further the state’s interest in patient safety, and speed is particularly important considering the time-sensitive nature of emergency contraception. This ruling is the latest in a series of judgments on whether religious believers can opt out of providing services. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed closely held corporations to seek exemptions from the Affordable Care Act’s contraception requirement.
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