Pharmacists Forced to Sell "Morning-After-Pill" Despite Conscientious Objection

Country: Ireland

Date of incident: May 21, 2013


The code of conduct for pharmacists requires that all pharmacists sell everything that is lawfully available in the state. This includes the so-called ‘morning after pill’. The Irish constitution has strong religious freedom protections, but if a pharmacist is unwilling to sell the morning after pill he would have to take his employer to court and plead for his constitutional rights. This could be very expensive and therefore most pharmacists with an objection to abortifacients in practice either sell them or quit their job.

Source and further information: The Observatory's Report 2012 on Legal Restrictions Effecting Christians in Europe