Mass. Hospitals denied exemption as Walgreens pharmacists sue. Plus: More religion stories from online sources around the world.
Catholic hospitals no exempt on law requiring morning-after pill distribution:
- Romney says no hospitals are exempt from pill law | He reverses stand on Plan B (The Boston Globe)
- Mass. changes hospital contraception rules | Gov. Mitt Romney abandoned plans Thursday to exempt Roman Catholic and other private hospitals from a new law requiring them to dispense emergency contraception to rape victims (Associated Press)
- Healey raps loophole on Plan B pill | Lieutenant governor backs wider access to contraceptive (The Boston Globe)
- Also: Critics say Romney undermining emergency contraception law (Associated Press)
- A Plan B mistake | There should be no exceptions for Catholic hospitals that oppose emergency contraception (Editorial, The Boston Globe)
- Private hospitals exempt on pill law | State accepts objections to morning-after drug (The Boston Globe)
- Mass. to exempt some from contraception law | The state's health commissioner plans to allow Roman Catholic and other private hospitals to be exempt from a new law making the "morning-after" pill available to rape victims, a decision likely to trigger a legal challenge (Associated Press)
Pharmacists file complaint over firing:
- Walgreens workers claim religious bias | Pharmacists file complaint with EEOC (Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.)
- Discipline of pharmacists spark complaint | Walgreen Co. engaged in religious discrimination by "effectively firing" three Illinois pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception, a public-interest group alleged Wednesday (Associated Press)
- Plan B: Women's rights and pharmacists' scruples | A woman who needs the Plan B emergency contraceptive should be able to get the drug without a lecture or a snide look from a disapproving pharmacist (Editorial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)