Contraception and Wal-Mart

I didn't see another diary entry, so I'm posting.  If there is let me know and (sorry, still new at this) give me a tip as to how to delete if need be.

Good news for people who believe in self-determination in the area of reproduction.  ...and Massachusetts.  

The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy on Tuesday ruled in favor of three women who filed complaints claiming that the stores refused to fill their prescriptions.

Julie Battel, Katrina McCarty and Rebekah Gee filed suit against the company earlier this month.

Wal-Mart has until Thursday to comply with the ruling.

...

Wal-Mart currently only carries the pill at its Illinois stores, where it is required under state regulations.

That's right, folks.  You can get emergency contraception from WalMart in only 2 states out of fifty in this union.  Which wouldn't necessarily be a big deal if WalMart hadn't already run smaller, independent pharmacies out of business.

Like all other small towns (I believe the CW is that 30 small businesses, especially in small towns, go out of business everytime a new WalMart opens), WalMart is often the only game in town for miles and miles, especially in the South, where I believe the continued presence of independent practitioners, as opposed to HMOs (like where I live) who don't have the resources to run their own pharmacies.

The article goes on to say that they will comply, because it was "purely a "business decision" for Wal-Mart, based on its assessment that demand for the product was not very high."

The same spokesman had previously written the plaintiffs' lawyer that

However, in a letter to Perkins regarding the lawsuit, Wal-Mart attorney John W. Delaney wrote that Wal-Mart has "long had the corporate policy of declining to make available EC (emergency contraception) medication, based on, among other things, a view that EC medication is not 'commonly prescribed' and within the 'usual needs of the community."'

Says who?  Tobramycin and Vancomycin commonly prescribed, but I'd bet they still have it available, just in case.

Ultimately, however, I do believe that their decision to relent was also a business one.  The second CNN story notes that there are 48 WalMart Pharmacies in MA, and at $3-5 filling fee for each prescription, that adds up to a lot of money. (It's $5 in Minnesota, not sure how much in MA).

And yes, the lawyers and plaintiffs, backed up by NARAL, Jane Doe, Inc., and Planned Parenthood have decided to go ahead and push similar suits with Pharmaceutical Boards elsewhere.

More power to them.  Contraception is the next front after abortion in the struggle to suppress women's (and men's, secondarily, and to a lesser degree) sexual freedoms.  

And don't forget:  CVS has agreed to make sure that Plan B AND regular contraception is always available through a non-crazy pharmacist.  Thus far, not sure if Target OR WalMart will make such guarantees.  Shop accordingly.

•  Demand was not very high??!!

  I would laugh if this were not so serious.

  "Hello, I just contracted a rare and very serious disease and my doctor has proscribed this medicine that will save my life! Can you please fill it quickly?"

  "Sorry, we don't stock that medicine because your disease is very rare and the profit margin is low!!!"

  by upstate NY on Wed Feb 15, 2006 at 08:44:12 AM PDT

  •  They can't really measure if...

    They don't keep records.

    And there is also a consortium of rare diseases for which there are few to no pharmaceuticals looking for cures because there is little market for it.  My cousin has Fanconi's (it's autosomal recessive; my brother and I are carriers), so there's a fair amount of small-time fundraising among individuals, but no market.

    This is also true for malaria and other developing world-dominant diseases.  

    Fortunately, there are groups like One World Health (first heard about it on the Laura Flanders Show last year).  They get help from big pharma, but have limited funding.  I think Bill and Melinda Gates have given them money.

    Yes, this is the real world of big medicine business.  Capitalism:  profit above all else.

    by vome minnesota on Wed Feb 15, 2006 at 09:35:06 AM PDT

    •  I think that is very unfortunate.

      I have family members with rare illnesses so I empathize. On the other hand, one might understand that medical research is limited in many cases. But when there is medicine available it's unconscionable for a pharmacy to bring out the profit margin argument. It's almost worse in this case.

      by upstate NY on Wed Feb 15, 2006 at 10:10:46 AM PDT