Welcome to Canada, folks.

[velvetpage]

Yesterday's paper contained an article about the association of pharmacists, who directed their members to ask several intrusive questions of women seeking to buy Plan B. This is an OTC medication in Ontario. The questions included identity information and some about date of last period and date of unprotected sex. The article suggested that such questions would be intimidating for women and were unneccessary for the pharmacists. After all, no one asks such questions when a woman buys aspirin; why would they ask about Plan B? It smacked of discrimination about birth control, said the article.

Today's paper stated that the Ontario privacy commissioner had contacted the association of pharmacists and told them to stop asking those questions. They contravened Ontario's privacy legislation, and were too intrusive. The potential for abuse of the information was too high. The article said the privacy commissioner had read the previous article and had acted on it.

I think I'm proud of my country today.

Comments

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

awesome!

[hillarygayle.livejournal.com]

I'm proud of your country, too. Would Canada please come give some lessons to the US?

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

I guess the only problem I have with this is the idea that - it is useful for the pharmacist to know the date of a woman's last period and when she had sex last- if only to be able to counsel her on the effectivenss of Plan B and if the woman should even take it.

Sad to say, but even just from reading some of the women's health communities around here goes to show that there are a LOT of people having sex who really don't know anything about protection, Plan B, or anything else. This is scary.

That said- having read something about this, I wouldn't think it necessary for the pharmacist to keep any records of when a woman came in- or, as another article suggested- charge a 'counseling fee' for anyone who came in and requested Plan B.

Putting it all together- I'm glad it's OTC in Canada (wish it were here) and if it's going to go one way or the other- I like the more open less intrusive path. Sure, there may be abuses and people taking it when it will no longer necessarily be effective- but I'd rather that than having it difficult to get (like it is in the US).

[athelind.livejournal.com]

"Privacy laws"? What kind of twisted socialist thinking is THAT? Nobody needs PRIVACY unless they have something to HIDE.

Except corporations and rich people, of course, who are simply protecting their interests.