Jan/Feb/Mar 1998 AD
Vol XIV No 1 (106)
Conscience Clause passed in South Dakota SenateThe South Dakota House recently passed a Pharmacist's Conscience Clause (CC) by an overwhelming majority of 57-10, reported Terri McEntaffer, executive director of the SDPhA. Subsequently, the Senate passed the bill 30-3. The governor has indicated he will sign the bill. While the bill is not the ideal CC as envisioned by PFLI and others, it does address very important aspects of pharmaceutical care which are important to pharmacists with a conscience.
The bill protects pharmacists from being sued or being subject to discrimination, recrimination or dismissal for refusing to dispense drugs "if there is reason to believe that the medication would be used to: 1) cause an abortion; 2) destroy an unborn child as defined [by SD law]; or 3) cause the death of a person by means of an assisted suicide, euthanasia or mercy killing…"1
"This bill is a giant step forward in progressive thinking by the people of state of South Dakota and the SDPhA in protecting pharmacists who desire nothing more than the best care for all their patients, born, preborn or in the throes of despair," stated PFLI executive director, Bogomir Kuhar, PharmD. "Pharmacists of conscience and their supporting clients look forward to the enactment of this historic piece of legislation and its signature by the governor."
In other activity, the CC continues in the Wisconsin legislature for the 1998 session. A version of the CC will be introduced shortly in the Kentucky legislature and discussions continue in several other states. Since the pharmacy associations have been largely remiss while this issue has been burning at the grassroots level, CC promoters have taken to the state legislatures to do the job abdicated by the associations.
APhA, at press time, debated and overwhelmingly passed the CC at its meeting in Miami Beach. The leadership of that association wished to accede to a CC but require referral of the abortion-seeking mother or person bent on suicide, inappropriate and unacceptable moral and ethical compromises, stated Kuhar. Updates on that meeting (see below) will follow via PharmFacts Update, PFLI's Internet news briefs.
State of Washington goes for the "morning after pill"Women in the Puget Sound area can now obtain the abortifacient so-called "morning after pill" (MAP) without a doctor's prescription, following the announcement of a pilot project there by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH).2
The PATH is collaboration project including the Washington State Pharmacists Association, the Washington State Board of Pharmacy, the University of Washington Dept of Pharmacy and Elgin DDB Needham advertising agency, all based in Seattle. The project is funded by the largest donor foundation to population control in the US, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Packard Foundation is the legacy of the co-founder of computer giant Hewlett-Packard, and was recently the object of an article in The Wall St Journal, emphasizing the population control zealousness of David Packard.
The 40 or so pharmacies enrolled in the pilot project will be given prescriptive authority to pharmacists for MAP dispensed within 72 hours of intercourse.3 Along with an 800 number, this expands the net for chemical abortion or "collaborative drug therapy," stated Don Downing, RPh, pharmaceutical care provider with the WSPhA, University of Washington and Washington State University in Pullman.
Interested parties may express their opinion about pharmacists being enrolled as death dispensers to the WSPhA (206-228-7171), the Washington State Board of Pharmacy (206-753-6834) and those pharmacies which are involved in this gruesome project.
Norplant case in TX ends in mistrialWyeth-Ayerst and its parent company American Home Products knew the Norplant abortifacient caused severe depression, said attorneys for plaintiffs in a recent trial in Edinburg, Texas. A company document presented at the trial said a doctor-feared liability, resulting from this side effect, could become an issue. But it was not to be.
After several hectic weeks in the controversial trial near the Mexican border, state district judge Mario Ramirez, Jr. declared a mistrial on 23 Jan 1998 after one of the plaintiff's attorneys, Mike Slack of Austin, TX, alleged another attorney asked a plaintiff to lie (suborned perjury).4
Five women from the McAllen, Texas area had been at trial suing Wyeth-Ayerst as individuals, alleging they were deceived about the side effects of the chemical abortifacient which is implanted into a woman's arm for up to 5 years. The case was the first of thousands of lawsuits to go to trial against the makers of Norplant.
Oregon Pharmacy Board dukes it out with state docsThe Oregon Board of Medical Examiners, at the request of the governor's office, will try to resolve a dispute between doctors and pharmacists about implementation of the so-called 'Death with Dignity Act" which passed by a 2-1 margin last fall.5
The medical board plans a draft rule which would protect both patient confidentiality and a pharmacist's right to refuse to participate in assisted suicide when medication is intended for use under the new law, said Kathy Haley, the board's executive director.
The Oregon Medical Association (OMA) petitioned in the Oregon Court of Appeals to invalidate a rule by the state board of pharmacy which required doctors to indicate if the medication was intended for use under the Act. The medical board complains this makes confidential patient information too public .
Representatives from both the pharmacy board and the OMA said they would look favorably upon a rule from the medical board that addresses both parties concerns, and which could be used in place of the pharmacy board's rule. PFLI encourages the pharmacy board to stick to its guns.
Have you paid your dues?
APhA passed CC by big marginA spirited and powerful debate in Miami Beach at the famous Fountainebleu Hotel led to an ultimately lopsided victory for the pro-life and pro-conscience clause forces on 24 March 1998. The 400 plus participants in the APhA's House of Delegates milled in for what was anticipated as a rancorous first round of debates on Saturday, 21 March.
After 3 or 4 parties spoke to the policy motion for a formal policy of support for a Conscience Clause (CC), the speaker of the house, Tim Tucker, moved to "refer" the motion to what is known as the Open Policy Committee session on Monday, 23 March. This is a move common in the organization when any controversial policies are being considered, according to a long-time veteran convention attendee. It tables the motion for further discussion in a caucus like atmosphere, with an "open mike" for all interested parties to express their ideas.
The initial APhA motion called for a nebulous possibility of referral in conscientiously objectionable situations, an area where seekers of the CC would not budge on compromise of principle. A second section of the policy motion would have referred the CC's implementation to a "council" of APhA, where detailed damage could be done to any teeth in the CC. This second section was also overwhelmingly struck from the motion.
On the offensive, pro-CC pharmacist delegates introduced two new motions at the "New Business" session on Sunday, 22 March. One was to add a phrase to the original motion including a right to refuse "referral" of clients who want a pharmacist to violate his/her conscience. This motion was defeated at the final vote on Tuesday, 24 March.
The second new motion called for APhA to push for enactment of the proposed CC at state and national levels; it, too, was defeated as being redundant after overwhelming passage of the CC. However, such a follow-up initiative is necessary to effect policy such as a CC so it will have a pro-active momentum and not just gather dust on the shelf. This latter idea—action on the CC into law at legislative and board of pharmacy levels—will be taken up next year at the APhA convention in San Antonio, Texas. Also to be addressed again will be the "compromise" policy on drug assisted suicide debated at the 1997 convention in Los Angeles.
The final version of the APhA policy on a CC will be available on PFLI's web page and probably at APhA's web site.
This exciting turn in approach to the CC on the national level shows that pharmacists—and all pro-lifers—can be victorious with planning, articulation of their position, armed with truth, prayer and meditation, and reliance for the rest from God. This turn of events will start a stampede of positive action regarding the CC on a variety of levels and fronts.
Besides the legislative action, the CC will be introduced at the IN Pharmacy Alliance in April for consideration.
If you wish to become involved in helping move the CC in your state or locality, contact PFLI headquarters at 1-800-227-8359.
California retreats on its Conscience ClausePro-life pharmacists experienced a set-back in California at the recent annual meeting of the CPhA convention in San Diego on 7 Feb 1998. At the behest of the Reference Committee, which just two years ago passed the historic CC in the most populous state in the U.S., the delegates passed an amendment to that CC, known as Policy 96-11, by a margin of 109-82:
"The CPhA recognizes that a pharmacist has a professional responsibility to the care of the patient, and the duty of pharmacists who exercise their rights of conscience is to help patients obtain pharmaceutical care from another pharmacist in a timely and appropriate manner."
Such an amendment would require a pharmacist who finds something objectionable based on his / her religious, moral or ethical beliefs to cooperate with a known evil situation. This issue is sure to be visited again next year. Much support for an "undiluted" CC was garnered from student delegates at CPhA, a portent of hope for the future.
PFLI ScriptNotesPFLI welcomes 22 new members to its ranks. Have you fulfilled your New Year's resolution yet of enrolling just one new member into PFLI? Do it today! It's not too late and easier than ever before; one can enroll by: "snail" mail, fax, telephone, e-mail and our web site.
Don't forget to check out PFLI's new web site at www.pfli.org. New features and FAQs will be added as time goes by, so check the site often! If you wish to receive PFLI's PharmFacts Update by e-mail, send an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject area. This service is available only by e-mail, please!
PFLI logo clocks are still available for those seeking these unique collectibles! A logo clock would make a great gift or addition to your store or office. For a minimum donation of $25 we'll be glad to send one of these prized clocks to your door. Just mention "clock" in your note to us.
PFLI president Lloyd J DuPlantis Jr, PD has written several new papers fresh from his historic visit with the various Japanese government health officials and his meeting with the top clergy of the Japanese Bishops Catholic Conference in December 1997. One, "The AIDS-Haiti-OC Connection" (CON4, $1.50 ppd), deals with the historically shameful record of experimentation with these steroids on Haitian women in the 1950s, a shame which one day shall be compared to the Tuskeegee or Nazi experiments. It posits the thesis of a connection between this OC use and HIV / AIDS. The second, "The DES Story" (CON5, $1.50 ppd), discusses the inside revelations on the misuse of the powerful Eli Lilly steroid DES and its role as an abortifacient and as a carcinogen. Please use the mentioned item codes when ordering your copy of these blockbuster articles! BTW: The Japanese government has decided subsequent to DuPlantis' visit to postpone any approval of OC use for the general public for the time being.
PFLI dynamo Karen Brauer, MS, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana had a letter recently published in Drug Topics re: a "moral refusal to dispense" abortifacients. Karen keeps PFLI posted regularly on news as it surfaces.
PFLI members Larry Taylor and John Kilarski, both of Indiana, will be introducing a CC proposal to the Pharmacy Alliance, the pharmacy organization in northern Indiana on 22 April. PFLI will keep its members apprised as to the outcome. Given the momentum coming from successes in other states and at APhA, we would venture to speculate the chances of acceptance of a valid CC has possibilities in Indiana.
Responding to the "myth of 'emergency contraception'", PFLI executive director Bogomir M Kuhar, PharmD had a rebuttal in the Retail Pharmacy News January 1998 issue laying out the truth behind the so-called "morning after pill" (MAP) and how it is abortifacient. The article was a response to the recent protocol approved in Washington state for the dispensing of MAP by pharmacists without a prescription, a dangerous and potentially litigious situation for pharmacists, not to mention the moral implications for pharmacists pro-actively joining the population / abortion juggernaut. Kuhar's response will be seen as a feature article in an upcoming issue of ALL's Celebrate Life.
A heart-felt personal story of their pro-life journey was received from PFLI members David and Carmen Cartaya of Tampa, FL. Since 1987, this brave couple has refused to dispense OCs and any other abortifacient or contraceptive. Despite fears of lost business, their store has thrived even though 3 other local chain stores have closed since that time. They have 2 sons in medical school and another will soon enter also. Commenting on their trust in God, the Cartayas said, "…no one can beat God in generosity. We put ourselves in God's generous, almighty hands. He takes very good care of us. Praise the Lord!…" David is recent outgoing president and current VP of Hillsborough County (FL) RTL and a constant longtime supporter of PFLI.
Neil Noesen, PFLI student member, seeks a pro-life internship situation in Wisconsin. Interested preceptors should contact him: 504 S Mills St, Madison, WI 53715, (608) 256-8324, ntnoesen@students.wisc.edu.
Marcy Schnoebelen, PharmD (cand.), PFLI student member, seeks a position following her graduation in May from the U of Iowa. She has much community experience with specialized emphasis in compounding. Interested parties may contact her: 1433 E Bloomington St, Iowa City, IA 52245-3111, (319) 339-0205 or mschnoeb@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu. A resume' and references are available from PFLI.
PFLI Western Canada coordinator, Maria B Porcellatto reports that fine unit of PFLI Canada has finished mailing out letters to 2800 pharmacists in the province of Alberta as the Alberta Pharmacists Association prepares to finish up its new code of ethics. PFLI Western Canada will present to the new APhA council on 14 April. Despite several democratic votes on the CC in recent years, the leadership of the APhA (not the American group) has in dictator style defied the properly passed CC. She also has setup a PFLI table at 2 conferences in March and is working with the Catholic Diocese of Calgary on the morality of the use of vaccine derived from aborted fetal cell tissue.
PFLI Australia coordinator John Wilks and his family are featured in a recent issue of ALL's The Judie Brown Report. Wilks' book A Consumer's Guide to the Pill and Other Drugs has come out in its second edition, after becoming an overnight smashing success in the first edition. With the book being printed now in the U.S. at reduced cost, PFLI announces it is also reducing the price of this momentous tome of indictment against OCs, Depo-Provera, Norplant, et al. The new price for this book is now $13 each ppd, a reduction of $10 off the old price. Please call or write for volume purchases.
A 1998 Contraception Survey will be going out to PFLI pharmacist members in the near future. We are seeking a database of current practices and experiences of PFLI members in the area of OCs et al. Your timely response to this survey, which will be published preserving your privacy while providing valuable statistics, will be much appreciated.
PFLI coordinators and officers current contact info is listed elsewhere in this issue of Beginnings. If you need info or advice on a local level, we encourage you to contact the local or regional coordinator in your designated area. If there isn't one, consider becoming a coordinator today.
Kemical CollusionSecret chemical abortions have been reported in the Canadian province of British Columbia, done without consent or knowledge of the women and child victims.6 Remarks of notorious chemical abortionist Dr Ellen Wiebe were just now reported coming from a spring 1996 meeting of the National Abortion Federation. The abortions were performed with methotrexate (MTX), which has not been adequately studied in Canada for this use. One of the NAF "doctors" encouraged others to tell the patient "you're miscarrying and don't say anything else…"
Ads have gone on buses in the city of brotherly love promoting the unbrotherly act of chemical abortion via MAP.7 This is part of the same campaign as that seen in other cities including Seattle (see above story), Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Diego, all cities with high numbers of minorities and ethnic immigrants, giving it a politically incorrect racist overtone. It also promotes the same ho-hum 888# making the rounds from the Rockefeller clique funded Reproductive Health Technologies elitists and Dr Trussell of the Princeton University Office of Population Research. Trussell's "study" was the sole criterion used by the FDA when it approved the MAP in June 1996. Gynetics, a front no-assets outfit based in Somerville, NJ, should have a pre-packed version of MAP out by the end of 1998. Consider NOT stocking this item.
Hip, hip, hypocrite! Warner-Chilcott is marketing its new and improved version of prenatal vitamin NataFort by showing a sleeping, cutesy newborn in what looks like an open egg, an incorrect bit of biology.8 WC is the generic arm of Warner Lambert which makes a variety of abortifacient OCs under its Parke-Davis label (e.g. Loestrin, Norlestrin, Estrostep). Like its fellow New Abortionist, Johnson & Johnson, WC likes to make money on both sides of the street.
Oregon troubles just beginning with introduction of PAS via drugs. Two people have already been reported as having "exercised their right" to assisted suicide. The DEA has threatened to pull the DEA license of—and possibly prosecute—any doctor prescribing PAS under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.9 We would encourage the DEA to do the same with any dispensing pharmacist as part of PAS, a proper use of government authority. This is not to be confused with judicious and legitimate pain relief. At last count, over 130 members of Congress and the Catholic Health Assn of the US have asked Janet Reno—the DEA's boss—to uphold the DEA's proper use of authority in this matter. In November, the state board of pharmacy and the Oregon Medical Assn got into a heated row over the proper emergency pharmacy rule mandating notation of Rx use under the OR PAS law passed under referendum that same month. A compromise is in the offing between the pharmacy board and the board of medical examiners.
Organogenesis's ApliGraft was recommended unanimously for approval by the FDA General and Plastic Surgery Devices Advisory Panel.10 The product is the first manufactured living human organ—composed of living epidermis and dermis cells—recommended for approval by the FDA. While not bound by the panel's recommendation, the FDA usually follows it. Novartis AG, the merger of the old Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy operations, will market the product. The product is intended for use in healing venous leg ulcers. At question is the source of the living cells used to make ApliGraft. Stay tuned.
Still no RU 486 / mifepristone despite or because of lots of legal wrangling and no manufacturer stepping up since Hungarian Gideon Richter dropped out. NARM says it can make up to 100,000 tabs at its "secret plant" (probably the Pop Council one in NJ) but it must do so with no profit. Too bad!
Listing of Pharmacists for Life International Officers, Board of Directors and Regional Coordinators
The Last WordOvulation detection devices--are there any benefits? is the question posed by Jeff Brand in the Nov/Dec 1997 issue of CCL Family Foundations. His conclusion is "do any of these products offer an advantage over the Sympto-Thermal Method as taught by the [Couple to Couple] League? Not that we're aware of…[n]ot suprisingly, information on the moral use of these products is missing from the instruction booklets…CCL does not currently support or endorse any of these products." A detailed analysis of each evaluated product is enclosed in tabular form. Karen Brauer, of Lawrenceburg, IN had baby #3 on 5 Dec 1997 weighing in at 9 lbs 11 oz. Congrats to Karen and her husband. She states the boy, Nathan Alan, is on quite a feeding frenzy. Pharmacia & Upjohn is near to getting FDA approval for its experimental abortifacient Cyclo-Provera, a combination of its injectable progestin, Depo-Provera (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate) in a lower dosage of 25mg along with the estrogen, estradiol cypionate 5mg to allegedly "improve control of the menstrual cycle" [Contraceptive Technology, Jan 1998, pg 3]. P&U filed the NDA in Sept 1997 and expect approval this year sometime. Look for more push for chemical abortions under the veneer of "contraception" soon. The product has been used on foreign women as guinea pigs in China and Latin America under the trade name Cyclofem. It is an every 30 day injection. A U.S. study is now underway to test for "efficacy." Long-time pro-life activist and founder of Mom's House, Peg Luksik, is tackling another effort at the gubernatorial race in Pennsylvania, announced Luksik Action, her election committee. Peg surprised pro-aborts by taking a 40+% margin for auditor in a 1992 run. Mom's Houses are now located in PA, NY, OH and ON province. Peg also founded the National Parents' Commission to defend parents' rights especially in education. A "no exceptions" pro-lifer all her life, Peg is the mother of six children. Her campaign is located at: Luksik Action, PO Box 792, Johnstown, PA 15907-0792.
1) SDPhA Stat-Gram, 10 Feb 19982) Washington project goal: increasing ECP access, Contraceptive Technology Update, March 1998; 19(3):34, 39.
3) 'Morning after pills' don't need a prescription, Pro-Life E-News Canada, 23 Feb 1998.
4) Perez-Trevino, E. Norplant mistrial declared. The Monitor, 24 Jan 1998, pg 1A, 4A.
5) Oregon's Death with Dignity Act, 1994, Pro-Life E-News Canada, 16 Feb 1998.
6) Gerk, T. Secret chemical abortions performed in BC, News, Pro-Life Society of British Columbia, 3 Mar 1998.
7) McCullough, M. Emergency birth control ads hit the streets in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 Mar 1998, pp. B1-B3.
8) Warner Chilcott ad / "Dear Pharmacist" letter re: NataFort, Feb 1998. Toll-free # is 800-558-3999.
9) Doerflinger, RM. Oregon's troubles just beginning? Life at Risk, NCCB Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, Jan/Feb 1998, p. 1.
10) Health Care Business Daily, 2 Feb 1998, p. 2.