Tagged: Plan B

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state cannot force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the state's true goal was to suppress religious objections by druggists — not to promote timely access to the medicines for people who need them.

U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton heard closing arguments earlier this month in a lawsuit that claimed state rules violate the constitutional rights of pharmacists by requiring them to dispense such medicine.

TACOMA, Wash. — A federal judge plans to rule on whether Washington state can require pharmacies to stock and sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives.

Washington requires pharmacies to sell any drug that's in demand. Plan B can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after sex and is available without a prescription to anyone over 17.

Ralph's Thriftway in Olympia and two licensed pharmacists sued in 2007, saying that dispensing Plan B would infringe on their religious beliefs because it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.

The state argues that the rule is constitutional because it applies to all drugs and promotes the timely delivery of medicine that becomes less effective as time passes.

TACOMA, Wash. — A federal judge plans to rule on whether Washington state can require pharmacies to stock and sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives.

Washington requires pharmacies to sell any drug that's in demand. Plan B can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after sex and is available without a prescription to anyone over 17.

Washington's Board of Pharmacy has decided to not change a rule that prohibits pharmacies from refusing to dispense all legal drugs, including the morning-after contraceptive "Plan B."