March 31, 2004

Thomas M. Ryan
Chairman, President and CEO
CVS
Corporate Headquarters
One CVS Drive
Woonsocket, RI 02895

Dear Mr. Ryan,

I am writing to express my outrage at the discrimination that violated Julee Lacey’s rights March 29 at the CVS Pharmacy in North Richland Hills. Upon presenting her prescription for birth control pills at the drive-through pharmacy window of that location, Mrs. Lacey was told that the pharmacist would not fill her prescription. Not because there was a problem with the prescription, or because the pharmacy was out of stock. No, Mrs. Lacey was denied this essential medication because the pharmacist personally did not “believe” in birth control.

This is completely inexcusable. Contraception is basic health care for women – 85% of us use it at some point during our lifetimes. Mrs. Lacey had a valid and legal prescription to obtain it. This pharmacist’s actions were an unacceptable imposition of narrow personal ideology on Mrs. Lacey’s reproductive health and rights.

When this story first broke, people who called CVS’ customer service line were told that CVS supported the pharmacists’ actions and that refusing to fill prescriptions based on personal beliefs was in line with CVS policy. Soon afterwards, however, callers were informed of the CVS policy requiring referrals, and informed that CVS would be following up with the pharmacist who refused to dispense Mrs. Lacey’s birth control for her violation of company standards.

On behalf of America’s women, I want your personal guarantee that this will never happen again. We want to know the immediate steps you will take to guarantee that all CVS pharmacies ensure that every patient’s prescription is filled, either by a CVS pharmacist or at least by another nearby establishment that will fulfill their professional obligations instead of imposing personal ideology and denying patients their rights. When an Eckerd pharmacist in Denton, Texas, refused to fill a rape survivor’s prescription for emergency contraception he was fired. I urge you to consider whose conscience really counts here, and to formulate your response accordingly. Your pharmacist’s actions were a violation of women’s fundamental human rights, and we will not stand silently by.

Sincerely,
Gloria Feldt
President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America