MADISON, WI, October 13, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An American pharmacist has his license under review for refusing to fill a prescription for the birth control pill, saying it contravened his religious beliefs as a Catholic. Neil Noesen was subjected to a hearing Monday by the Regulation and Licensing Department, for “engaging in a pharmacy practice which constitutes a danger to the health, welfare or safety of a patient,” according to a release from Noesen’s legal defence team, the Christian Legal Society. His accuser, Amanda Phiede, argued his refusal to fill her prescription constituted “unprofessional conduct,” according to a Wisconsin Capital Times report.
While working at a Menomonie, Wisconsin, K-Mart pharmacy in July of 2002, Phiede, a single college student at the time, presented a prescription for the pill. Noesen had made an agreement with his managing pharmacist, Ken Jordanby, that he would not be required to fill prescriptions for contraceptives. Noesen, working alone at the time, refused the prescription and would not forward Phiede’s prescription to another pharmacist. She returned with two police officers.
Noesen said the police presence was upsetting. “They were trying to scare me,” Noesen said. “They had no business there. It certainly wasn’t a police matter. … This is something you might see in Colombia or some other Third World country. For a free country, it is really an embarrassment. They asked for my address and said they were filing a report.” Noesen argued that forwarding the prescription to another pharmacist would also be untenable: “it would be a sin to induce another to sin. Whether they participated or not, I would be participating in the bucket brigade.” Noesen faces three possibilities: reprimand, suspension or a revocation of his pharmacy license.
“Noesen believes he cannot fill prescriptions for contraceptives without violating his duties before God. The state should respect that, especially when a patient will not be harmed,” said Christian Legal Society Director Gregory S. Baylor, Esq. See local coverage: https://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=13874&ntpid=0 tv