Judge says Wash. can't make pharmacies sell Plan B
Quick ReadFederal judge says Washington state cannot force pharmacies to sell emergency contraceptives
Photo credit: AP | Kevin Stormans, one of the owners of Ralph's Thriftway, in Olympia, Wash., talks to reporters, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Tacoma, Wash., after a federal judge ruled that Washington state may not force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives. Ralph's and two licensed Washington pharmacists sued in 2007, saying that dispensing Plan B would infringe on their religious beliefs because it can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
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(AP) -- In a ruling that appears headed toward appeal, a federal judge has ruled that Washington state cannot force pharmacies to sell Plan B or other emergency contraceptives.
The state's true goal in adopting the rules at issue was not to promote the timely access to medicine, but to suppress religious objections by druggists who believe that such drugs can have an effect tantamount to abortion,...
