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Rachel Peterson was denied medicine to treat a miscarriage because a Meijer pharmacist had a religious objection.

Meijer will change its policies and retrain staff as part of a legal settlement reached with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan after a pharmacist refused to fill an Ionia woman's prescription to treat a miscarriage, citing his religious beliefs.

The ACLU says that under Meijer’s new policies:

  • If a customer calls in or presents a prescription to a pharmacist who has a religious objection to filling the prescription, a second pharmacist will take over and immediately fill the prescription.
  • In the very rare instance that a second pharmacist is not present, the on-duty pharmacist will call the prescription into another nearby Meijer pharmacy, which will immediately deliver it to the original pharmacy. In most cases, it will take no more than 30 minutes or an hour to deliver the medication and the longest time it would take is two hours.
  • Customers will receive their prescriptions seamlessly without knowing that a pharmacist had an objection and no Meijer employee will “shame” customers for taking a medication prescribed by their doctor.

Meijer will train all pharmacy staff and new employees on the policies.

The Free Press reports: 

The changes come after the ACLU filed a complaint with Meijer in October, on behalf of Rachel Peterson, 35, of Ionia who was pregnant with her first child in July 2018. Peterson had started to miscarry, but couldn't complete the miscarriage on her own. Her doctor sent a prescription for misoprostol (brand name Cytotec) to the Meijer Pharmacy on Lears Road in Petoskey.

Misoprostol can be used to prevent stomach ulcers and also can be used to induce labor during pregnancy, to aid in the completion of a miscarriage and in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. When combined with another drug, it can be used to induce an abortion.

In a release from the ACLU, Peterson says her goal in filing suit was “to make sure no one has to endure the humiliation and horror I went through last year.”

"This new policy sets a precedent and puts other pharmacies on notice: everyone has a right to their medication, and to receive it free from judgment.”

“As a woman, I feel that losing a pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences a person can endure. Women should be able to receive the medication they need from pharmacists with compassion and dignity. It is not the job of a pharmacist to accuse, speculate and shame a woman who is actively enduring a miscarriage. If this behavior is allowed to continue in the pharmaceutical field, women’s rights will suffer greatly. As women, we must educate and advocate for our medical rights. We have been in the dark for too long. It is time for us to take on active roles in our own medical care.”

“With more awareness and transparency around this issue, I hope that women can feel more comfortable coming forward if they have been denied proper and dignified care. You are not alone. You have people on your side.”