Pharmacists and Rights

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer gets one thing right about the Washington board of pharmacy error:

The board’s August meeting will provide a chance to truly correct the mistake by dropping the rule altogether. We’re not convinced the board will do that.

Exactly! Pharmacists must perform their duties to the standards of their employer. Their only choice , if their beliefs preclude them from serving their employer’s customers , is to move to a different employer, e.g., a pharmacy that does not stock Plan B, etc., or a different career. Employers should simply fire pharmacists who do not perform their job duties.

They get one thing wrong:

If this usurpation of individuals’ right to medical care comes back in some other form, Gregoire, legislators and the public must be prepared to respond again.

What has been usurped is not a right to medical care. Rather, the primary right is that of individuals or freely associated groups of individuals to voluntarily exchange goods and services with other individuals or other freely associated groups of individuals. Medical care is one of these services that we have a right to voluntarily procure from willing providors.