An Arizona woman has hit out at chemist Walgreens after being denied medication she needed for an abortion thanks to a pharmacist’s “ethical beliefs”.

Nicole Arteaga found out nine weeks into her pregnancy that the fetal heartbeat had stopped, resulting in a miscarriage. Her doctor had recommended the medication Misoprostol to end the pregnancy, which can be used during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Having dropped off a prescription for the medication the previous night, she returned the next morning to pick it up and was told she could not.

Ms Arteaga wrote in a Facebook post about her interaction with the pharmacist at a Walgreens in Peoria, Arizona: “I stood at the mercy of this pharmacist explaining my situation in front of my 7 year old, and five customers standing behind only to be denied because of his ethical beliefs”.

Having experienced a previous miscarriage, Ms Arteaga’s doctor was closely monitoring her pregnancy and suggested a surgical procedure - called dilation and curettage - to remove the foetus.

Ms Arteaga opted for the prescription medication instead and wrote in the post: “I get it we all have our beliefs. But what he failed to understand is this isn’t the situation I had hoped for, this isn’t something I wanted”.

“This is something I have zero control over. He has no idea what it’s like to want nothing more than to carry a child to full term and be unable to do so. If you have gone thru a miscarriage you know the pain and emotional roller[coaster] it can be,” she wrote.

She said she “left Walgreens in tears, ashamed and feeling humiliated by a man who knows nothing of my struggles”.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, she said "all I could feel was helplessness".

"The world felt like it was closing in... This was my body and I couldn't control it," she added. "This person was making this decision for me."

Ms Arteaga wrote in an update to the post that after contacting her doctor again, she was able to get the Misoprostol she needed at another Walgreens pharmacy.

She also said she spoke with Mr Hreniuc’s manager who she said “did not seem happy about what had happened” as well as filing formal complaints with the corporate offices and the Arizona Board of Pharmacy.

Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Show all 20 1 /20 Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Women in Dublin celebrate the result of yesterday's referendum on abortion law Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A woman in Dublin celebrates the result of yesterday's referendum Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Activists react at the count centre as votes are tallied folowing yesterday's referendum Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Co-Director of Together For Yes Ailbhe Smyth speaking to the media at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes voters react, as the results of the votes begin to come in PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Long time campaigner Annette Forde, from Drumcondra, at the count centre in Dublin's RDS as votes are counted PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Minister for Health Simon Harris (centre) with Fine Gael's Kate O'Connell and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy (left) speaks to the media on arrival at the count centre PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes voters celebrate at the count centre in Dublin as official results for constituencies are announced PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners celebrate at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A woman writes a message on a mural to Savita Halappanava, a woman who died of pregnancy complications AFP/Getty Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Activists react at the count centre as votes are tallied folowing yesterday's referendum Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald reacts with a member of the Yes campaign PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners celebrate at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners react, as the results of the votes begin to come in Reuters Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Senator David Norris at the count centre in Dublin as votes are counted PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A woman sits in front of the Dublin mural of Savita Halappanavar, a woman who died of pregnancy complications PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Repeal supporters at Dublin's RDS await the start of the count last night PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Minister for Health Simon Harris is greeted by retired Supreme Court judge Catherine McGuinness at the count in Dublin PA Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum Yes campaigners react, as the results of the votes begin to come in AP Ireland celebrates historic Yes vote on abortion referendum A Yes voter poses with a badge as votes are counted AFP/Getty

In a statement, Walgreens said that pharmacists are allowed to "step away" from filling such prescriptions but are required to help the patient fill their needs by transferring the prescription to another location.

Her situation is not an isolated one. Several women across a number of states have reported that they were denied prescriptions or over-the-counter “morning after” pills that are available to terminate pregnancies, unwanted or due to miscarriages.

Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, and South Dakota are all states that protect the rights of pharmacists to deny women these prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

Ms Arteaga has filed a complaint with the Arizona board of pharmacy.