Response to Rick on Pharmacists and Conscience

Rick asks whether my op-ed explaining why the conscience movement among pharmacists is misguided can also be characterized as explaining "why the movement to pass laws overriding a pharmacist's right of conscience is misguided."  The answer is yes, with a caveat: the reproductive rights lobby is misguided in this context not so much for trying to override a pharmacist's right of conscience, but for trying to override a pharmacy's ability to carve out any sort of distinct moral identity.  In other words, the problem lies in the effort to close down the space needed for the meaningful exercise of conscience, not in the effort to override the legal enshrinement of conscience.

An example of that closing space emerged today from Massachusetts, where the pharmacy board ordered Wal-Mart to carry emergency contraception at all of its locations in the state.  As a physician who had recently filed suit against the chain explained, "My patients should not have to shop around."  This nicely underscores the point of my criticism:  if we're going to take moral pluralism seriously in this country, being forced to "shop around" may not be such a bad thing.

Rob