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Does anyone ever wonder why pharmacists have to go to college for 6 years in order to fill prescriptions? It is a reasonable question with a clear answer. Their job is not simply to count out the number of pills that a doctor perscribes, stick them in a bottle and throw a label on it. They have a responsibility to double check a doctor's order to ensure that a patient's medications are compatible.

This is one reason that I take issue with the fact that pharmacists, all to often neglect to tell women on birth control that antibiotics nullify the effect of that birth control, and that alternate forms of contraception should be used both during and shortly after the use of antibiotics.

i now know four women that have gotten pregnant due to this negligence. Two of them opted to go through abortions that were very traumatic, and two opted to keep their babies. All of them faced choices that were very difficult, and ultimately changed their lives. I am not interested in debating whether or not these choices were moral or not, but rather, I would like to point out that I am just one person, and know four people who were trying to be responsible with their reproductive health, and had to face the consequences of being ill informed by someone whose training and job requires them to disclose information that was withheld.

So, for women everywhere please spread the word, and the next time a pharmacist neglects to inform you or anyone you know of even the potential lack of compatibility of these two medications, let that pharmacist know that you are an unhappy customer. Perhaps then we will see a little more responsibility on their part to help women who are trying to be responsible.

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