Wal-Mart Decides to Carry Plan B (abortion) Pill

Officials of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) announced Friday the company will reverse its earlier policy and stock emergency contraception pills in all of its pharmacies effective March 20, saying the giant retailer could not justify being the country's only major pharmacy chain not to carry the morning-after pill.

The announcement comes after Massachusetts last month ordered the world's largest retailer to stock the so-called Plan B pill, following a lawsuit by three Boston women against Wal-Mart.

Illinois also requires pharmacies to carry the prescription drug, and those are the only two states where Wal-Mart has so far stocked emergency contraception.

"We expect more states to require us to sell emergency contraceptives in the months ahead," said Ron Chomiuk, vice president of pharmacy for Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart.

"Because of this, and the fact that this is an FDA-approved product, we feel it is difficult to justify being the country's only major pharmacy chain not selling it," Chomiuk said in a statement.

Chomiuk said the company will maintain its conscientious objection policy, which it said is consistent with the tenets of the American Pharmaceutical Association. The policy, except where prohibited by law, allows any Wal-Mart or Sam's Club pharmacy employee who does not feel comfortable dispensing a prescription to refer customers to another pharmacist or pharmacy.

Wal-Mart has more than 3,700 pharmacies in the United States, it said.

It has previously said it "chooses not to carry many products for business reasons," but has refused to elaborate. A Wal-Mart lawyer in the Massachusetts lawsuit said the company did not believe that emergency contraception was commonly prescribed or within the "usual needs of the community."

Plan B contains a higher dose of the hormones in regular birth control pills. It cuts the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if used within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The earlier it's taken, the more effective it is.

If a woman already is pregnant, the pills have no effect. They prevent ovulation or fertilization of an egg; they also may prevent the egg from implanting into the uterus, the medical definition of pregnancy, although recent research suggests that's unlikely.

Some abortion opponents oppose emergency contraception because it blocks fertilization of an egg or because they believe it can block the fertilized egg from being implanted.

National women's and family planning groups called on Wal-Mart to change policy and start stocking emergency contraception pills in its pharmacies after the Boston lawsuit filed Feb. 1.

The groups, including the National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood and the National Council of Women's Organizations, said Wal-Mart did not have the right to overrule a doctor's prescription of emergency contraception for a woman.

Connecticut added pressure Thursday when Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the insurance plan for 188,000 state employees and retirees should no longer cover prescriptions at Wal-Mart unless the retail giant agrees to stock emergency contraception pills.

Wal-Mart's critics welcomed the change.

"We commend Wal-Mart for taking an important first step towards allowing women access to safe and legal medication," Andrew Grossman, executive director of union-backed campaign group WalMartWatch.com, said in a statement.

WalMartWatch.com said Wal-Mart should now look at changing what it claimed were other business practices that harm women, including inequality in pay and promotions that are alleged in a class-action federal lawsuit against the retailer pending in San Francisco. Wal-Mart has denied those allegations.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060304/D8G4KI1O0.html

I say good because most of these unplanned pregnancies will just turn out more trash for society to baby sit.

I say good because most of these unplanned pregnancies will just turn out more trash for society to baby sit.

I have become somewhat confused about shit like this and the whole larger abortion issue recently. Just in that while I have issues with all of the white girls and women who choose to either not get pregnant at all or have an abortion. But then if they choose of their own free will(I don't see jews or anyone else holding a gun to their head) that a child is going to interfere with their life and they want nothing to do with any thought of family or responsibilities, are they really going to make the best mother and roll model with the sanity and maturity required to raise healthy kids to be productive members of society instead of just another generation of degenerates just like themselves?

they want nothing to do with any thought of family or responsibilities, are they really going to make the best mother and roll model with the sanity and maturity required to raise healthy kids to be productive members of society instead of just another generation of degenerates just like themselves?

I don't even see this particular pill as being a big deal. Any woman who is prescribed regular birth control pills can get pretty much the same effect by taking 8 or so pills at once. Where I live, a good majority of the customers at Walmart are made up of spics and niggers.... I would love for them to have access to this form of emergency contraception. It seems like they would be the ones who would have the most need for it, since it seems that a large amount of white women are already on the pill/shot/patch.

I don't even see this particular pill as being a big deal. Any woman who is prescribed regular birth control pills can get pretty much the same effect by taking 8 or so pills at once.

Its more like 2 , not 8 . I believe that there is a hightened increase in the chance of forming blood clots . Anyone who tries this should research it thoroughly and talk to a doctor.

Its more like 2 , not 8 . I believe that there is a hightened increase in the chance of forming blood clots . Anyone who tries this should research it thoroughly and talk to a doctor.

If it's only 2 that is needed to have the same effect as the Plan B pill, then I'd say that it jut reinforces my point that this pill isn't that big of a deal, since virtually every woman on the pill can manage to squeeze in an extra pill in the event of an emergency.

If it's only 2 that is needed to have the same effect as the Plan B pill, then I'd say that it jut reinforces my point that this pill isn't that big of a deal, since virtually every woman on the pill can manage to squeeze in an extra pill in the event of an emergency.

The 'big deal' is the right to life folks, this is in the gray area of "is it an abortion pill ?" . It isn't a matter of contraception , it's a matter of politics .

The 'big deal' is the right to life folks, this is in the gray area of "is it an abortion pill ?" . It isn't a matter of contraception , it's a matter of politics .
Ok, I see what you're saying, but....


http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/contraception_birth.html
Most birth control pills are "combination pills" containing a combination of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation (the release of an egg during the monthly cycle). A woman cannot get pregnant if she doesn't ovulate because there is no egg to be fertilized. The Pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and reach any eggs that may have been released. The hormones in the Pill can also sometimes affect the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for an egg to attach to the wall of the uterus.

Plan B contains a higher dose of the hormones in regular birth control pills. It cuts the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if used within 72 hours of unprotected sex. The earlier it's taken, the more effective it is.

If a woman already is pregnant, the pills have no effect. They prevent ovulation or fertilization of an egg; they also may prevent the egg from implanting into the uterus, the medical definition of pregnancy, although recent research suggests that's unlikely.

....it works in the same way as do regular birth control pills. So, I suppose I'm confused as to how Plan B is more of an "abortion pill" than any other birth control pills?

Ok, I see what you're saying, but....

....it works in the same way as do regular birth control pills. So, I suppose I'm confused as to how Plan B is more of an "abortion pill" than any other birth control pills?

From the first post :
"Some abortion opponents oppose emergency contraception because it blocks fertilization of an egg or because they believe it can block the fertilized egg from being implanted."

It's a political hot potato, Catholics would object and some Fundamentalists .