Author Notes

Today I opened reddit to go about my usual routine. Look at the local New Orleans gossip, read some scandalous askreddit threads, and catch up about the current events in the public health world. It is the last of these three things that has stirred me to write this blog posting.

To summarize the situation, a woman named Nicole Arteaga was denied a prescription for Misoprostol at the Walgreen Pharmacy on W. Peoria Ave in Perodia, Arizona. Misoprostol has a variety of usages “including medication abortion, medical management of miscarriage, induction of labor, cervical ripening before surgical procedures, and the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage.” [1] In Nicole’s case, this medication was needed to help expel her nonviable fetus, that she had recently miscarried (or, as we refer to it in the public health world, suffered a spontaneous abortion). The pharmacist, Brian Hreniuc, refused to fill her prescription due to his “ethical beliefs”, humiliating the already traumatized woman in front of shoppers and her 7 year-old son. (More information can be found here).

Due to the outpouring of criticism on Twitter, Walgreens has responded be citing its corporate policy:

“Our policy allows pharmacists to step away from filling a prescription for which they have a moral objection. At the same time, they are also required to refer the prescription to another pharmacist or manager on duty to meet the patient’s needs in a timely manner.” [2]

I am writing this blog post to both inform and inspire fellow citizens who are passionate about public health to take action on this injustice.

Despite what politicians would lead us to believe, healthcare is, fundamentally, not a place for politics.

If a pharmacist in “unable” to perform their job duties due to “ethical beliefs”, then they are unfit to hold their position. Period. Dr. Hreniuc’s behavior is made further unacceptable by the fact that he holds a PharmD degree. His education and training in healthcare should have made it extremely clear that his actions are ethically unacceptable in this profession.

I call for a higher standard to be held for the pharmacists who work for Walgreens. The policy that support Dr. Hreniuc’s actions reflect poorly on Walgreens as a company, its board, and CEO Alex Gourlay. An effective policy change must be made at a corporate level in order to ensure all women are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve while seeking healthcare.

As of this moment, there are a few ways you can take action:

If you have stock in Walgreens, sell it. The primary purpose of any company is to generate a monetary return on investment in order to share profits with its stakeholders. If stocks plummet, then the board will have no choice but to respond. Write a letter (preferably snail mail) to “Kelly J”, Dr. Hreniuc’s manager at the Peoria Ave pharmacy, calling for his dismissal.

Kelly J.

c/o Walgreens Pharmacy

9040 W. Peoria Ave.

Peoria, AZ 85345 Write a letter to Alex Gourlay, CEO of Walgreens Co, calling for a change in company policy.

Alex Gourlay

c/o Walgreens Co.

200 Wilmot Road.

Deerfield, IL 60015

I hope that the public outcry in response to Dr. Hreniuc’s actions will result in both his dismissal from his position at Walgreens, as well as effective corporate policy changes to reflect the respect Walgreens should have towards its customers.

References

[1] Allen R, O’Brien BM. Uses of Misoprostol in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology[electronic article]. 2009;2(3):159–168. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2760893/). (Accessed June 24, 2018)

[2] WAGSocialCare. Our policy allows pharmacists to… Twitter. 2018;(https://twitter.com/WAGSocialCare/status/1010959849121820672). (Accessed June 24, 2018)