Women Score a Victory: Wal-Mart Begins Offering Contraceptives No Questions Asked

After examples of women being unable to obtain birth control from Wal-Mart Pharmisists, Planned Parenthood announced a major victory and a change in Wal-Mart’s written policy regarding the dispensation of pharmaceutical birth control.  Wal-Mart’s pharmicists across the country are now required to dispense birth control without delay and without judgement.  This means thousands of women in rural areas, where Wal-Mart is frequently the only pharmacy, now have access to birth control without fear of being denied by the pharmisist. 

From Planned Parenthood:

Planned Parenthood Activists Nationwide Get Wal-Mart to Change Its Birth Control Policy at Pharmacies: Emergency Contraception Will Be Stocked and Dispensed Without Discrimination or Delay

Planned Parenthood’s “Fill My Pills Now” and “Pill Patrol” Campaigns Claim Another Victory for Women’s Health and Safety — and Access to Birth Control

NEW YORK CITY — In response to Planned Parenthood’s massive grassroots advocacy campaign “Fill My Pills Now,” Wal-Mart notified Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) today that it has revised its nationwide corporate policy with regard to emergency contraception. The new Wal-Mart policy ensures customers “will now receive their prescriptions or OTC products in store without discrimination (no harassment or lectures),” “without delay,” and “without judgment,” according to the Planned Parenthood survey that Wal-Mart returned to PPFA today.

“This is a huge victory for women’s health and for Planned Parenthood’s campaign for accessible birth control,” PPFA President Cecile Richards said. “We’re pleased that Wal-Mart has changed its policy to meet the real-life health care needs of women and families.  Congratulations to our activists and supporters, especially our Pill Patrol, for making sure pharmacies respect and protect women’s health.

“With its new and improved policy, Wal-Mart joins other women-friendly pharmacy chains like CVS, Eckerd and Medicine Shoppe, RiteAid and Walgreens,” Richards said. “Our Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol will continue to focus on getting more major retailers to follow in Wal-Mart’s footsteps — including Target, Giant, Safeway and Winn Dixie, which have a long way to go.”

Women can always turn to Planned Parenthood for birth control — including emergency contraception — and all their reproductive health care needs.  Last year, Planned Parenthood provided more than one million women with emergency contraception kits.

Birth control refusals are a disturbing trend that jeopardizes women’s health and safety. The Planned Parenthood Pill Patrol volunteers survey pharmacies about availability of emergency contraception and refusal policies.

You can visit Planned Parenthoods site and read the press release here.

Posted by Research Team on Wednesday, April 04, 2007