Contraception in Illinois
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Drug stores in Illinois will be required to post signs listing the options available to customers who cannot get their prescriptions filled, according to a proposed rule announced by Gov. Rod Blagojevich March 27. Under the rule, pharmacies will be required to "provide a medically acceptable alternative drug, or, at the request of the patient, order the drug from their supplier, transfer the prescription to a different drug store, or return the prescription to the patient." The action stems from the state's allegation that a pharmacist in West Peoria lied to a healthcare provider who called in a prescription for emergency contraception, saying it was not available at the pharmacy when in fact it was. The state has launched a formal complaint against the pharmacy. In April, Blagojevich issued an emergency ruling making it illegal for pharmacists to refuse to dispense EC (1"The Tan Sheet" June 20, 2005, p. 11)...