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MADISON, March 16, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Advocates of conscience protection laws for pharmacists have long warned that the lack of legislation leaves Christian pharmacists in an impossible dilemma. The Wisconsin state Department of Regulation and Licensing has filed a complaint against an objecting pharmacist with the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board. The pharmacist, Neil Noesen, refused to fill a woman’s prescription for abortifacient “contraceptive” pills, and declined to refer her prescription to another pharmacy.  Noesen had a verbal agreement with his employer, Kmart pharmacy in Menomonie, that he would not be required to fill prescriptions, such as birth control pills, and that he would be allowed to defer those prescriptions to other pharmacists on duty. Noesen informed the patient that he was not required to fill the prescription but that another pharmacist could do so later. He was alone on duty. The complaint against him states that the woman asked where she could have her prescription filled, but “because of his personal religious objections, (he) refused to provide (her) with that information.”  Kmart has a history of firing conscientious pharmacists for refusing to dispense abortifacients. Karen L. Brauer, a Cincinnati area pharmacist was fired by Kmart in 1996 for the same reason. In 2003, Wisconsin bill 63 was introduced to protect against, “employment discrimination based on creed and exemption from liability and discipline for pharmacists who refuse to dispense for abortions, assisted suicides, and euthanasia.” Noesen testified in the Wisconsin legislature, “We first have the duty to do no harm.  Then, the duty to do good. It (is) unethical to force (medical) practitioners to participate in cooperation with abortions, assisted suicides, and euthanasia.”  Noesen faces the summary suspension of his licence to practice if the board finds against him. The case is scheduled to be heard by an administrative law judge in May and Noesen vowed to contest the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board’s charges of unprofessional conduct.  Wisconsin State Journal coverage:  https://www.madison.com/wisconsinstatejournal/local/70273.php   Protectino of Conscience website, information about this and many similar cases:  https://www.consciencelaws.org/Examining-ConscienceIssues/Background/Contracept/BackContracept07.html