PETITION CLOSED

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Tell Walgreens to Stop Discriminating and Sell Emergency Contraception to Men
  1. Signatures
    571 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. President, Pharmacy Services (+ 3 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • President, Pharmacy Services (Kermit Crawford)
      • Head of Quality Assurance and Training - Walgreens Pharmacy (David Kuszmaul)
      • EVP Operations/Community Management (Mark Wagner)
      • Operations Vice President (Roxanne Flanagan)
  2. Created By
    Pema Levy
    Washington, DC
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

Some Walgreens stores in Texas (and previously in Mississippi) refused to sell Emergency Contraception (the Morning After Pill) to men. This "unwritten rule," as they called it, discriminates on the basis of gender, defies the federal guidelines of the FDA, and attempts to control women by forcing them to be present to purchase EC.

Not only is this "policy" illegal, not to mention deeply paternalistic and insulting, but it is dangerous to women, who could become pregnant by a delay in receiving time-sensitive contraception.

Tell Walgreens to put an end to this policy, punish employees who refuse to sell EC to men, and increase training to ensure this never happens again.

Photo: ttarasiuk

 

 

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Walgreens pharmacies refuse to sell emergency contraception to men

Greetings,

Dear Walgreens executives,

It has come to our attention that some Walgreens pharmacies in Texas, and previously in Mississippi, are violating FDA regulations as well as gender discrimination laws by refusing to sell emergency contraception to men.

Not only is this illegal, but it's also dangerous for the women who are seeking this time-sensitive EC. It's insulting to force women to buy the pill, as if every unintended pregnancy is the woman's fault -- it takes two to make a mistake.

When one man, Adam Drake, tried to buy EC and was turned away, he complained and got this response: “the pharmacist has the right to refuse service, and that the store has an unwritten rule that they will not sell the product to men unless the woman is present because he may give it to an underage person.” Refusing service that has an immediate impact on a woman's health is reckless and insensitive and could lead to unintended pregnancies that could have been prevented. "Unwritten rules" that contradict federal rules and deny one's equal rights under the law are unacceptable.

When individual Walgreens pharmacies have unwritten policies that they will not sell EC to men, in violation of federal rules, dangerous, and insulting. We ask that Walgreens take this problem seriously by making sure these "unwritten" policies are put to an end, punishing employees who refuse to sell EC to men, and increasing training to ensure this never happens again.

Sincerely,



P.S. Information on the offending store and pharmacists in this case are described in detail in this letter to Walgreens Corporate management from the ACLU: http://www.aclutx.org/files/walgreensletter.pdf

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