Row breaks out over availability of abortifacients in Irish Pharmacies

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Human Life International Ireland (HLII) came under attack in the pharmacist’s magazine, the ‘Irish Pharmacist’, following its recent survey of Irish Pharmacies on the issue of dispensing abortifacients such as the morning after pill. 

The HLI executive director Patrick Mc Crystal has responded to the criticism in the ‘Irish Pharmacist’ and has issued a press release which is set out below.

Having just surveyed 3000 pharmacies on dispensing abortifacient "morning-after" pills, Human Life International Ireland has rebutted accusations of "Catholic militancy", "fundamentalism" and "totalitarianism" and "extreme" in the March edition of "Irish Pharmacist" magazine.   (greencrosspublishing.ie) See rebuttal here.

 

Responding to criticism in February's edition of "Irish Pharmacist" , Patrick McCrystal, Executive Director of Human Life International (Ireland) outlined that many of their supporters want to know what pharmacies do not dispense abortifacients. See criticism article here.

 

In his article, Mr McCrystal described how he ceased dispensing abortifacients as a pharmacist when he realised the implications of the loss of human life through the dispensing of these life destroying drugs.

 

He stated: "As a pharmacist, I held that if a woman conceived and presented in my pharmacy, I had two patients to consider not one. There is a silent holocaust countrywide despite the clean clinical image projected."

 

"Whilst many pharmacists I know are consciencious and hard-working, if human life is sacred there were uncomfortable realities as a pharmacist I simply had to face, realities that transcended mere professional ethics."  As a result, Mr McCrystal was unemployed for three years due to his ethical stance.

 

Further clinical and ethical considerations are our dedicated website at www.positivepharmacy.org, which is attracting international attention. This is a big issue for pharmacist's way beyond our Irish shores.

Of the 40 pharmacy responses, only two indicated they did not dispense the abortifacient morning after pill.   All dispensed the everyday oral contraceptive pill. However, several pharmacies indicated their willingness to explore the matter further.

"If even one pharmacist considers taking a different path, it will have been worth it." said Mr McCrystal.

Pharmacists and all healthcare professionals are thrust into the frontline of a moral quagmire that university clinical training does not equip them to deal with.

For more information Contact: Patrick Mc Crystal (BSc Pharmacy) tel 087 2305709
Human Life International Ireland

Survey to be published on abortifacients in Pharmacies

Human Life International (Ireland) (HLII) have announced  in a press release that an unprecedented survey will arrive in EVERY pharmacy in Ireland North and South on Thursday December 12th.

The morning after pill and abortifacients are chemical warfare on unborn children and this survey aims to map which pharmacies do not dispense these deadly drugs.

Of the 14,000 supporters on Human Life International’s database, many have pledged to travel long distances to patron pharmacies which do not deal in these drugs.  HLII are constantly asked if they know of even one pharmacy in the country which doesn’t deal in these abortifacients so they decided to do something about it.

The pharmacy mailing, funded by supporters of HLII  includes the testimonies of three pharmacists who ceased dispensing these drugs on consciencious grounds.

According to the statement HLII are inviting pharmacists who have ethical qualms about dispensing abortifacients to contact them – confidentially if they wish.

HLII Executive Director, Patrick McCrystal, is a pharmacist who paid a heavy price of unemployment for 3 years for refusing to dispense them.

We plan to inform our supporters of the results of this survey for THEIR local area.

Pharmacists and other healthcare professional are invited to  view a special dedicated website www.positivepharmacy.org for scientific and ethical perspectives.

More information:  Rep of Ireland 094 93 75993     N. Ireland 02890 90923357

Human Life International (Ireland), Guadalupe Centre, Main Street, Knock. Co. Mayo.Upholding and defending Life, Faith and Family

TESTIMONIES
Pharmacist stops dispensing abortifacients

By Patrick McCrystal  M.P.S.I/ BSc Pharmacy (QUB)

I ceased dispensing  contraceptive pills and so-called “morning-after” pills in 1993. How could I as a healthcare professional  promote health and prolong life with integrity whilst dispensing drugs that terminated human life?  When a woman who has conceived presented in my pharmacy, I had a duty of care to two patients, not one.

I knew human life was sacred from the moment of conception.  I knew that if I consented to dispensing a drug with an implicit abortifacient mechanism, I was complicit on an attack on a fellow human being.  

It was a very difficult decision-making time, with very few I could really talk to.  Then I discovered “Pharmacists For Life International” based in U.S.A.  What a relief to discover that somewhere in the world there were pharmacists defending human life in this manner.   When I eventually ceased dispensing contraceptive products in 1993, I was subsequently unemployed for three years, despite attending about 30 interviews in North and South Ireland.

 The pharmacy magazine “Chemist and Druggist” carried my two page article “What Kind of Prescription?”   highlighting the pharmacists ethical dilemma of dispensing abortifacients in 1994. The Scottish Pharmacist Association invited me to debate the MAP at their annual conference in 1995, a debate I won. 

It wasn’t good enough when people said to me: “You can’t impose your morality on others.”   By continuing to dispense these drugs against my increasingly uneasy conscience, I was letting others morality be imposed on me.

In a statement to Catholic Italian pharmacists, Pope John Paul II said: “One cannot accept being party to attacks on life…or on procreation.”(1993).   

In 1995, he made the dramatic statement “Whoever attacks human life in some way attacks God himself”  (Evangelium Vitae ; The Gospel of Life)

The idea of coming before God at the judgment at the end of my life and discovering that through my dispensing of abortifacients I had in some way attacked God was something I simply couldn’t do.   It was then I wrote my first book: Contraception and Evangelium Vitae, highlighting the clinical evidence for the abortifacient nature of contraceptive pills and drugs.

About the same time I discovered the statistics revealing that the distribution of contraception actually increases the abortion rate not reduces it.  Even Family Planning Agencies know that.  As someone deeply opposed to abortion, by my dispensing contraception as a pharmacist, I now realised I was party to fuelling the abortion crisis, not reducing it.

Now I am working with to inform the general public of ALL the facts before they make up their mind on contraception.  My most recent book “Who’s at the Centre of your marriage…the Pill or Jesus Christ?” highlights contraception’s disintegrating effect on marital harmony.

We have all been shocked by the reports of chemical attacks on children in Syria.  Abortifacient products are nothing less that chemical attack on children in the womb.

A expanded version of Patrick’s testimony is at www.positivepharmacy.org

Caroline Hubert, Pharmacist testimony

In 1988 I registered as a pharmacist in the UK. In 1994, I became uneasy about supplying what I then understood to be ‘abortifacient’ contraceptive devices and medications. At the time I believed that the ‘morning after pill’ and IUD were the only such ‘culprits’.

As I prayerfully considered the spiritual implications of supplying these products, I became increasingly convicted that my role in authorising their supply was a significant compromise of my own moral integrity.

My personal research into the actions of these products revealed to me that even before the implantation of the early embryo, human life is well under-way. What implants in the womb days after conception is not simply one ‘fertilised egg-cell’ but a developing ‘blastocyst’ consisting already of many cells.

Discovering that somehow impacted me. At that point I made a decision to stop supplying the MAP and IUD as I could no longer in conscience provide a product which I understood would destroy a human life – even at the earliest stage of development. Scripture is clear - ‘Thou shalt not kill’.

On that same day I came accross an article written by Patrick McCrystal in our UK trade magazine ‘The Chemist and Druggist’. This article exposed some uncomfortable new information. This researcher concluded that in fact all oral ‘contraceptive’ drugs and devices have an intrinsic abortifacient potential. One particular quote particularly challenged me. It is apparent that with COC pills which are least likely to have an abortifacient action, there was a possibility in one year in the USA for 12 million users to have up to 5 million chemical abortions!

I then realised the enormity of the decision which lay before me.

As a pharmacist I liked to provide a good service and to give customers satisfaction. Taking a decision to refuse to supply such prescription items could invite much hostility. I prayed at length about my response feeling very fearful of the potential consequences. After 3 months of wrestling with the issue I finally stopped supplying any products with an intrinsic abortifacient potential.  I was employed as a pharmacy manager by a chain of pharmacies in the south of England.

My company accepted my position as a conviction of conscience and I continued to work at this branch for the next 10 years until I left to accommodate the needs of my own growing family of 8 children. Interestingly and unexpectedly the prescription business prospered during this time.

More on so called morning after Pill

In my blog for 11 October 2010 I brought to your attention a very good article written by Dr. Ruairi Hanley in the Irish Medical Times.    It’s worth re-reading that article, particularly in the light of a more recent article written by Dr. Hanley in the same journal.   What a pity that in the meantime the good doctor appears to have lost his way somewhat!   This time, writing about the decision of Boots, the chemists, to sell the ‘morning-after’ pill over the counter – in other words, freely and without a doctor’s prescription – Dr. Hanley says:

‘The news that Boots is now dispensing the “morning-after” pill (MAP) without prescription has not gone down well with those in authority in our profession.  The IMO [Irish Medical Organisation] and the ICGP [Irish College of General Practitioners] wasted little time in dispatching various spokespeople to criticise the move on national radio.

‘As always, it would appear that I find myself on a different side of the argument to our leaders.  The MAP is a highly effective medication that prevents unplanned pregnancy.  In my opinion, it does not require a medical degree to prescribe it to an anxious patient.

‘Unlike paracetamol, which can be purchased in petrol stations, emergency contraception cannot possibly be used to commit suicide by overdose.

‘That, I believe, somewhat undermines the “patient safety” argument so beloved of opponents of this reform.

‘Other doctors tend to argue that Boots employees are unqualified to offer counselling on possible STIs when dispensing the pill.  This completely ignores the fact that the pharmacist will highlight this issue at the time of handing over the MAP and will advise the patient to follow up with their GP, should they have any concerns in this regard.  The same principle also applies to future contraceptive needs.

‘The truth is that this is exactly what most doctors do when prescribing emergency contraception in an out-of-hours service.  The patient is given the MAP, a consent form to sign and is told to follow up with their GP re STI risk and to discuss longer-term contraception with them. …

‘The MAP has been dispensed for 10 years in UK pharmacies without prescription and there has not been an associated dramatic rise in STI infection or other problems for women. …’

He also suggests that the reason for the criticism of Boots on the part of the IMC and the ICGP is the fact that their members could suffer financially if the MAP were to be made more freely ‘available’ in pharmacies.   He refers, too, to ‘that significant minority of their members who, for personal ethical reasons, refuse to prescribe the morning-after pill.’   He also acknowledges ‘the right of doctors to practise medicine according to their conscience …’

However, would someone please tell Dr. Hanley that the ‘morning-after’ pill can act as an abortifacient – killing the newly conceived human being by preventing him or her from implanting in their mother’s womb?   ‘Patient safety’ concerns two patients – not just one patient.   The second patient is likely to be exterminated by the so-called ‘morning-after’ pill.

Call to boycott Boots pharmacies until they cease 'over the counter' supply of the morning after pill

Boots (the chemists) have announced that they are now providing – selling – the ‘morning-after’ pill without prescription in branches throughout Ireland. They claim they are able to do this because of a loophole in the relevant legislation in Ireland, allowing them to sell the pill here.  Up until now, the ‘morning-after’ pill was obtainable only on prescription from a doctor, but Boots say that a doctor who is part of their organisation in the UK has given a ‘general’ prescription permission and that this will suffice to allow them to sell the pill ‘over the counter’, and without a specific doctor’s prescription.

As is well known, the ‘morning-after’ pill can actually act as an abortifacient, that is, it can cause an abortion at a very early stage in the life of the newly-conceived baby.    So – in practically every Boots chemist shop throughout Ireland it is now possible to obtain medication that will cause an abortion, without a prescription.    The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) is concerned about the decision – but we must ask is this for all the right reasons?   The ICGP appear to be worried only that ‘dispensing emergency contraception in this way’ raises ‘issues about quality and continuity of care' and while this is of course a genuine concern, they do not appear to be worried that the ‘morning-after’ pill can cause an abortion of a living human being.

Despite the weakening of the Irish constitution by supreme court decisions the action by Boots could still be in contravention of Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution but in addition it contravenes section 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act (1861), which states: ‘Whosoever shall unlawfully supply or procure any poison or other noxious thing, or any instrument or thing whatsoever, knowing that the same is intended to be unlawfully used or employed with intent to procure the miscarriage of any woman, whether she be or be not with child, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour.’

"Coming so soon after the ruling of the European court in the A, B and C case, Boots' decision shows just how rapidly the threat to unborn children is spreading in Irish society. Pro-life organizations and individuals can only hope to defeat these attacks by working together to defend all human life from the moment of fertilisation. If a referendum is to be offered pro-life people should insist that the wording of any new amendment should include protection for all unborn children regardless of the circumstances of their conception.

“The manufacturers of the so-called morning after pill claim it does not cause an abortion but they contradict themselves. The website of the manufacturer of the Plan B pill states: ‘Plan B temporarily stops the release of an egg from the ovary, prevents fertilization, prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.’ However, the manufacturer’s website continues: ‘Plan B is not an abortion pill—if you take plan B you will not be terminating a pregnancy. If you are already pregnant and take plan B, there’s no evidence that plan B will harm you or the fetus…’

“Statements like this are used to make people believe that the morning after pill doesn’t destroy an unborn human life. Saying ‘Plan B prevents a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus’ is just another way of saying it may cause the newly conceived embryo to die because it cannot implant itself in the lining of the womb. The term ‘a fertilised egg’ is misleading. Once fertilization takes place the result is a new embryo and therefore a new unique human life. For this reason, the use of Plan B may violate an unborn child’s constitutionally guaranteed right to life."

Boots are co-operating in the holocaust of abortion, and causing new life to be destroyed in Ireland.  

What can we do about this situation – the denial of the human right to life on the part of this large and influential chain of chemist shops?

There is one thing that we can do, and that is to boycott Boots shops everywhere in Ireland, and tell your family, relations and friends why they should do likewise.

Don’t so much as buy a hair-clip or a toothbrush in Boots! A boycott is more effective when a store becomes aware of your reasons for not shopping with them so please let them know, they can be contacted on the following link BOOTS

"Morning after pill" distorts abortion figures in Spain according to experts

The president of the Institute for Family Policy in Spain, Eduardo Hertfelder, charged this week that the widespread distribution of the morning-after pill has not resulted in fewer abortions - as government officials have reported. According to a CNA news report

Spain's Health Minister, Trinidad Jimenez, attributed the decline in the unofficial number of first-time abortions to the legalization of the morning-after pill. According to the newspaper La Razon, Jimenez said abortions have dropped by more than 3,000 since 2008. Hertfelder called that claim a "lie." "Perhaps there are fewer surgical abortions," he said, "but chemical abortions, like those caused by the pill, are on the rise."

In fact, the morning-after pill began to be made available with prescription to Spanish women and teens last year, and in the first few months more than 388,000 doses were distributed.

To claim that abortions have declined because of the drug "is a way of camouflaging chemical abortions," Hertfelder asserted.

Benigno Blanco from the Forum on the Family added, "The promotion of contraceptives creates a false sense of security that unleashes an increase in promiscuity and sexual relations and, consequently, increases the risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies."

The "unofficial decline" in the number of abortions "is without basis," Blanco added, noting with regret that the country's Minister of Equality has celebrated these figures as "a triumph of the law on abortion, which is so tragic and harmful for women.

New Book: Pill is Marital 'Cancer' -- Mentally, Physically and Spiritually

Christian Newswire reports that Irish pharmacist and pro-life leader Patrick McCrystal is in New York City this week for the U.S. launch of his second book, which deals with the devastating effect contraception has on marriages and the culture as a whole.

McCrystal's book comes on the heels of Nancy Gibb's recent expose in Time magazine, "Love, Sex, Freedom and The Paradox of the Pill," which celebrates the "first medicine ever designed to be taken regularly by people who were not sick." This was followed by the surprisingly candid commentary on the Pill by movie star and celebrity sex symbol Raquel Welch, who sees the lasting legacy of the Pill as the breakdown of marriage and the family: "I myself have been married four times, and yet I still feel that it is the cornerstone of civilization, an essential institution that stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children and saves us from anarchy."

"Contraception is a most potent destroyer of marital harmony," said McCrystal, author of Who's at the Centre of Your Marriage: The Pill or Jesus Christ. "Most would be surprised to see me and Raquel Welch lining up on the same side of a debate, but she makes some very smart and accurate points in her column," observed McCrystal. "While her diagnosis is correct, my book goes a step further to offer the prescription that can help heal ailing couples: re-centering their marriage on Christ."

A trained pharmacist, McCrystal stopped dispensing the contraceptive pill in 1993 because of its abortion-causing nature. This decision resulted in the loss of his job and subsequent unemployment for three years. Undaunted, he has since spent thousands of hours researching, writing and speaking internationally on contraception and related issues. He is the chairman of Human Life International's Ireland office. One who "practices what he preaches," McCrystal resides in Northern Ireland with his wife, Therese, and is the father of 5 children.

On Friday, McCrystal will be joined in New York by Tony and Ann Crowe, a young Irish couple who bear witness to how contraception almost destroyed their marriage and how they were able to reverse the toxic situation.

Spanish Government to allow unrestricted access to morning after pill

The Spanish government plans to allow the morning-after pill to be sold over the counter in pharmacies and without prescription within the next 3 months.

Spanish Health minister Trinidad Jimenez, said there would be no age restriction which implies that it will be available to teenage girls without parental consent. Irish Examiner

The Health Minister also said that she expects no objections from pharmacists and in a clear attack on any possible level of conscientious objection she said all pharmacies will be required to carry the drug. "Once the sale of this drug is authorized, the obligation exists for pharmacies to have it available," she told the media. She also claimed that a committee of physicians had determined that the drug poses no serious risks and does not need to be given by prescription.Despite much evidence to the contrary Jimenez denied that the morning-after pill is abortifacient.


Pro-life physicians strongly contradicted the Health Minister's claim. Dr. Gador Joya, spokesman for the Spanish organization Right to Life, told the pro-life website HazteOir.org that in fact,

"the so called day after pill has an abortive effect. The measure announced by the minister envisions establishing free abortion ... It also assumes that children will be given the power to have abortions using this method without their parents' knowledge or authorization. It is not only a humanitarian aberration, but a medical one."

LifeSite News.com

Pro-life pharmacist racially attacked

A man has been convicted of racially abusing a Muslim pharmacist who refused to sell him and his partner a morning after pill. According to the prosecution, Chris Mellett shouted: “United Kingdom, Great Britain, not for people like you!" and “Shut your ******* mouth you black ******* you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The comments in the combox are varied but generally side with the racist rather than the pharmacist who committed the apparently un-British crime of sticking to his principles. Even the article itself puts the word 'ethical' in inverted commas when reporting the pharmacist's refusal to dispense the abortifacient drug on ethical grounds. It says something for the way the UK is going that a racist is regarded with more sympathy than a pro-lifer, but at least the law could see who the real criminal was.