By Associated Press
Springfield, IL – A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of five pharmacists suspended indefinitely without pay by Walgreen for refusing to dispense contraceptives on religious or moral grounds. The American Center for Legal Justice filed the lawsuit yesterday seeking to abolish an Illinois rule requiring pharmacies to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception.
The group's senior counsel says it's the first federal lawsuit challenging such rules. Two other pharmacists are also named as plaintiffs. The lawsuit names Governor Rod Blagojevich and the heads of the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and its Division of Professional Regulation. A Blagojevich spokeswoman, Abby Ottenhoff, defended the rule. She calls it a "commonsense way to ensure that women have access to the medication their doctors prescribe for them."