Americaca: now pharmacies go anti-abortion

The abortion debate has now moved from the courts and political discussion to the pharmacies. There are people who run pharmacies who are refusing to dispense the morning-after pill (Plan B) for reasons of conscience. In other words, if you're a woman with a prescription from a doctor for this pill, you may have to run from pharmacy to pharmacy the morning after to get your prescription filled, at a time when time is of the essence. This pill is most effective when taken immediately, although it is said to be effective up to three to five days after intercourse.
'The reason the morning-after pill has touched off such debate hinges on the way each side sees the drug, which is also known as Plan B or the emergency contraceptive pill. Abortion rights advocates and most physicians say the pill, unlike the French drug RU-486, is not an abortion drug because it does not destroy an embryo. Instead, the pill prevents ovulation or fertilization, or blocks a fertilized egg from becoming implanted in the uterus. Advocates also argue that the pill will lead to fewer abortions. "This is one of the safest medicines we have available, and it can prevent unplanned pregnancies," said Dr. Karen Lifford, the medical director of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, who testified at a public hearing last week on a bill being considered by the Massachusetts legislature. "We're trying to reduce the number of pregnancies and abortions, and people of different religious views can agree that this is a good thing to do." But many abortion opponents believe the morning-after pill ends a human life and is therefore tantamount to abortion. More here.