While Suffering a Miscarriage, Woman Was "Shocked" That This Pharmacist Refused to Fill Her Prescription

When Rachel Peterson called in a prescription for a medication to aid in the recovery from her recent miscarriage, she was already at a painfully low point – having just dealt with the crushing loss of losing her unborn baby.

The last thing she needed was another battle to fight, but that's what she got when the pharmacist at a Meijer pharmacy in Petoskey, Michigan, refused to fill her prescription for misoprostol, which – in addition to helping complete a miscarriage and aid in postpartum hemorrhageing – can also be combined with another drug to induce abortions.

"The pharmacist called and said that he could not fill the prescription in good conscience because he was a Catholic male and he could not contribute to an abortion," Rachel said.

Rachel – who was in Petoskey on a holiday with her husband to mourn the loss of her pregnancy – said that at that point, she revealed to the pharmacist that her fetus was no longer viable.

"He said he didn't believe me," she added.

The ordeal didn't end there.

"Then I asked if there was someone else there who would be willing to fill the prescription, and he said no," she said. "I asked if there was someone I could speak to, a manager, and he said no, and I asked if I could get the prescription transferred, and he said no."

Legally, this pharmacist could have refused to fill Rachel's prescription on the basis of religion, but he is required by law to transfer the request to another pharmacist or send it to another pharmacist.

Although Meijer hasn't commented on the specific matter, the company did release a statement to People noting that "our practice is based upon our overwhelming concern for patient safety and care, balanced with the need to accommodate the religious beliefs of our employees." Meijer also added that the pharmacist no longer works for the company and that "we apologise for any customer experience that does not align with our core values."

Still, Rachel's immediate needs forced her to drive three hours back home to get her prescription filled. If she had waited a day or two, "she would've been in some real trouble," her husband Rob said.

"Since I was grieving and devastated by the loss, our loss, and then for someone to say these things to me during this difficult time — I was confused and shocked," she said. "And I just didn't understand how someone could treat another person who was going through one of the most difficult times in their lives."