The Federal Food and Drug Administration approved Plan B, also known as the ""Morning After Pill,"" for over-the-counter sale to legal adults back in August, but a vocal minority here in Madison continues to stubbornly resist increased access to the drug.
The opposition by Ald. Jed Sanborn, District 1, to a proposal that would require Madison pharmacies not carrying Plan B to post signs directing customers to stores that do carry the drug goes against the interests of both the drug's intended market and pharmacists.
Sanborn has criticized the proposal as unnecessary ""nanny statism,"" a claim that is misguided and neglectful of the important need that the drug fills. The reasons to ensure easy access to Plan B are obvious.
Because the drug is most effective at preventing a pregnancy when used within 72 hours of intercourse, it is neither practical nor morally justifiable to force a woman to go from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for one that carries it. The economically disadvantaged suffer the most under this system because they are both statistically more likely to need the drug and also less likely to be able to easily locate and visit multiple pharmacies.
Restricting access to Plan B on moral grounds is illogical, since the drug reduces the need for abortions, which is a goal everyone can support. However, for pharmacists who do object to selling the drug, this proposal is actually a blessing. If access to Plan B continues to be a problem, it is likely that lawmakers will eventually push to require pharmacies to carry the drug.
Mandating signs that inform customers where the drug can be purchased is a compromise that meets retailers more than halfway, on grounds of religion as well as retailers' freedoms. The proposal would allow pharmacists who choose not to sell the drug to completely wash their hands of the issue, as customers could simply follow the signs to a retailer who does carry it.
Sanborn's opposition to this proposal helps no one. Hopefully this is the last leg of the resistance to Plan B, and those pharmacists who choose not to carry it will comply with the new law.
