Pharmacists Litigation Update

I wanted to give you an update on our challenges to the Illinois Governors rules requiring pharmacists to dispense objectionable products.  The Illinois statutes have broad protections for pharmacists in exercising their constitutional rights and rights of conscience.   In fact, its one of the broadest statutes in the country.  Despite the existence of this statute, the Governoron his ownissued a directive which compelled pharmacists to dispense medications like RU-486 and other abortifacients, even if the pharmacists had religious grounds for objecting.  The American Pharmaceutical Association, which is the largest pharmaceutical association in the country, has come in on behalf of our clients, saying that there are other alternatives short of firing these pharmacists for engaging in conduct motivated by their conscience. 

We have several suits pending right now against drug store chains and the State of Illinois.  It is possible and we are now working on a scenario where the pharmacy chains may well join us in seeking to remove this restriction from the laws of Illinois.  This would be a tremendous help to have both the pharmacies and the individual pharmacists--backed up by the American Pharmaceutical Association--maintaining the same position in this critically important case concerning human life.  Frank Manion and Geoff Surtees, our senior counsels, are handling this case and we will keep you posted as these matters continue to progress through the court system.