Big news from the biggest retailer in the country. Wal-Mart has signed onto Planned Parenthood's pharmacy policy on emergency contraception (EC), also known as the "morning-after pill." This means that Wal-Mart will provide EC in-store, without delay.
Over the past few years, Wal-Mart pharmacies have been notorious for not stocking EC or refusing to provide it even when it was in stock. And without a clear corporate policy, the pharmacies were not held accountable.
Under the new policy, Wal-Mart has committed to
- ensure that customers receive their prescriptions or over-the-counter (OTC) products in-store, without discrimination (no harassment or lectures), without delay, without judgment or regard for the number of refills prescribed or, in the case of OTC products, requested
- stock emergency contraception in every store in which one or more customers request the product
- ensure timely access to out-of-stock medication by offering to order the medication or refer the customer to another pharmacy that stocks the medication
- circulate and enforce these policy and procedures corporation-wide
This announcement is long overdue. Wal-Mart's shift in policy comes after years of refusing to provide women with emergency contraception or other birth control. Over the past month, the Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol visited and called Wal-Mart pharmacies across the country to find out if they would provide emergency contraception.
Here are two reports from the field:
- "When asked if some employees refused to sell EC, [the pharmacist] replied, ‘sometimes.’ I asked what the policy is for handling that and she wanted to know why I wanted to know. I said I was simply curious but she became fairly confrontational, put me on hold without warning, and never returned to the phone. I felt VERY uncomfortable with the situation and would not purchase EC from this store, though it was available."
- "[The pharmacist] has it in stock but refuses to sell to anyone without a prescription. He said that was the decision taken by the pharmacists who work in this store. When I pointed out that the law doesn’t require a prescription for someone over 18, he agreed but said that, legally, he is not required to sell it."
"With its new and improved policy, Wal-Mart joins other women-friendly pharmacy chains like Walgreens, CVS, Eckerd’s, and Medicine Shoppe," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Our Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol will continue to focus on getting more major retailers to follow in Wal-Mart’s footsteps — including Target, Giant, Safeway and Winn Dixie, which have a long way to go."
Wal-Mart's policy shift is a huge victory for women’s health, for the Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol, and ultimately for the 127 million people who walk through Wal-Mart's doors each week.