Asking Senators and Representatives to Co-sponsor Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act

Today, I sent a letter from the Advocates for Youth web page to my Senators and my Congressman asking them to co-sponsor the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act (H.R. 1652 / S. 809). Here's my modification to the pre-written Advocates for Youth letter:

I am outraged that young women across America are being denied safe and legal pharmaceutical products based on the ideological views of a few. Pharmacists have a responsibility to provide medications without judgment or fear.

The Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act (H.R. 1652 / S. 809) is designed to preserve the right to safe, legal, pharmaceuticals prescribed by a medical professional.

Decisions about whether to use safe and legal birth control should be made by a woman and her doctor, without restrictions by pharmacists.

98% of women use birth control at some point in their childbearing years and experts predict that access to emergency contraceptives alone could prevent as many as fifty percent of the 841,000 unplanned teen pregnancies every year.

However, because of barriers, only thirty seven percent of young women seeking contraceptive services ever receive them.

Young women are uniquely affected when a pharmacist refuses to fill a prescription because, as they may have limited access to transportation and funds, they can't afford to track down a pharmacist who will.

These young women, who are making the responsible decision to access birth control methods, should not be faced with a hassle or a judgment at the pharmacy. Pharmacists have a right to their personal beliefs about dispensing birth control, but cannot be allowed to impose those beliefs on women.

As a father of a teen daughter who is attending college and as a religious churchgoing person, I'm outraged that my daughter's reproductive freedoms could be harmed through a pharmacist who refuses to perform his or her professional duties.

I urge you to support the Access to Legal Pharmaceuticals Act and protect the right of responsible young women to receive safe, legally prescribed pharmaceuticals.