Faith-Based Pharmacies?

Is anyone else disturbed by the idea of “Faith-Based Pharmacies“? As the article says, several pharmacies across the nation are experimenting with the idea. The Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy in VA sells no candy, no sodas and no birth control, even if the person has a prescription for one. While this may be a minor thing to some, what happens if someone’s religion forces them to abhor homosexuality and premarital sex (or anything else)? What’s next? Do they refuse to dispense AIDS medication because the person may be gay? Do they refuse to give treatment for STDs if unmarried because that would just be encouraging premarital sex? What about vaccinating teens against HPV? What about refusing to dispense drugs to people because you don’t like they way they look or dress? Maybe you even refuse to serve anyone who isn’t your brand of Christianity? After all, refusing to sell birth control is basically saying all other Christians that believe it is ok are wrong and evil. Where will it stop? Maybe these are extreme examples and then again, maybe not. As early as 2006 a pharmacy refused to fill prescriptions for abortion-related antibiotics and pregnancy-related vitamins that was prescribed by a women’s health and abortion provider (http://archcitypundit.com/2006/04/12/pharmacy-refuses-to-dispense-antibiotics-vitamins-prescribed-by-abortion-clinic/). It will be a sad day when a pharmacy can legally refuse to fill prescriptions for people based on their “moral” standards. Is it more moral to prevent a pregnancy or bring into the world an unwanted baby? Is it more moral to prevent a person from dying from sepsis because she had an abortion or giving an antibiotic? And they say that morality comes from religion!