A Wairoa pharmacist refuses to sell the emergency contraceptive pill over her counter because of personal beliefs.
Wairoa Pharmacy is the town's only dispensary.
To be eligible to sell the emergency contraceptive pill, commonly referred to as the morning-after pill, pharmacists have to complete a course.
Owner Elsa Norvil says she will not do this, for personal reasons.
"There are alternatives in place and it is an ethical right whether or not one chooses to stock or dispense the emergency contraceptive pill," she said.
"I am not prepared to supply the pill over the counter, as I see conception as a potential life, with a soul, so I will not sell it as I consider this as ending another's life.
"I am prepared to dispense it on doctors' instructions and believe this acknowledges other's rights to access this service."
Some residents are concerned that limited local access could be contributing to Wairoa's high teenage pregnancy rate.
Wairoa has no family planning facilities so the morning-after pill can be obtained only by doctor's prescription or from school-based health services.
The pill can be taken up to 72 hours, or three days, following unprotected intercourse to prevent a pregnancy from progressing.
Concerned locals say the Hawke's Bay District Health Board needs to make the pill more accessible. They point out it is available over the counter at pharmacies in other centres.
Wairoa people say they respect Miss Norvil's views but because hers is the only pharmacy in town, other options need to be offered.
Alright ladies and gentlesirs. As you have probably gleamed from the article, the only pharmacy in Wairoa (a town in the middle of nowhere in the North Island of New Zealand) is refusing to sell a contraceptive drug over the counter. Now this presents an interesting set of arguments: should she sell it as an over the counter drug?
Argument One is that she should sell the drug over the counter because it provides greater access to the pill not only for the teenagers that need it but also for others in the town that need it as well. She also is forcing her beliefs on others and this is wrong in the sense that she is providing an essential service to the town in the form of being a pharmacist and that she should be obligated to sell the drug regardless of her beliefs.
Argument Two is that she shouldn't sell the drug over the counter because legally speaking she isn't obligated to and she has stated that she will still stock the drug for doctor's prescriptions. And that because she is the owner of the pharmacy in question, she has the right to stock what drugs she wants and she has the right to refuse to sell a certain type of drug over the counter (which requires undergoing a course in New Zealand in order for this to do so).
Argument Three is that this is a non-issue, as the drug can still be obtained through a doctor or a school based health nurse (who also give out other contraceptives such as condoms) and that it would be better if it wasn't over the counter because then the drug is free, as opposed to being sold at around $40, money most teenagers wouldn't have to spend (and cost is a big reason factor in obtaining contraceptives) if it became an over the counter drug. In addition to this, because Wairoa has no family planning facilities, the District Health Board for wherever Wairoa is located should seriously invest in some of these facilities.
Personally I am heavily leaning towards the third argument, as it's most GP's would be willing to provide contraceptives to sexually active couples rather than deal with the aftermath of an unwanted pregnancy. In addition, most doctors would also provide STI tests when prescribing contraceptives.
What say you, NSG?
