Meijer customer says Catholic pharmacist denied her miscarriage meds

Rachel Peterson said a Meijer pharmacist refused to fill her prescription to treat her miscarriage because he believed she would use it to...

Rachel Peterson said a Meijer pharmacist refused to fill her prescription to treat her miscarriage because he believed she would use it to abort the fetus. Photo shows Rachel with her husband Rob Peterson. Photo courtesy of American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan

By Jessie Higgins, UPI

A Michigan woman says a Meijer pharmacist, citing his religious beliefs, refused to fill her prescription during a miscarriage.

Rachel Peterson said the pharmacist told her that, as a Catholic, he would not give her the medication because he feared she would use it to intentionally abort the fetus.

"I was stunned," Peterson told UPI Thursday. "It was surreal. I had to ask him to repeat himself."

The pharmacist, Richard Kalkman, could not be reached for comment Thursday. A Meijer representative said Kalkman's employment at the Petoskey, Mich., store ended in early July. The encounter with Peterson occurred July 1.

"We have thoroughly investigated these allegations and ... we cannot discuss this specific matter due to federal and state privacy laws that protect health information," a statement from Meijer's corporate office said.

Meijer's policy does allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions based on their religious beliefs, it said.

"However, our procedure requires the prescription to then be filled by another pharmacist in the store. If no other pharmacist is available, the pharmacist must consult with the patient to arrange for the transfer of the prescription to another pharmacy that is convenient to them. This is consistent with the American Pharmacy Association and the Michigan Pharmacy Association Guidelines."