Minnesota Pharmacist Sued After Refusing to Fill Woman's Emergency Contraceptive Prescription

A trial has begun after Minnesota mother Andrea Anderson sued longtime pharmacist George Badeaux, who denied to fill her prescription for a morning-after pill based on his religious beliefs

Medication concept. Oral emergency contraceptive drug. Two white pills of Levonorgestrel are in silver blister, for birth control. Abortion problem concept. Isolated on white background and copy space.
Photo: File: Getty

A Minnesota pharmacist is set to go on trial after refusing to fill a woman's prescription for emergency contraception.

Andrea Anderson is suing longtime pharmacist George Badeaux under the Minnesota Human Rights Act after an incident in 2019 where he refused to fill her prescription for a morning-after pill based on his religious beliefs. The state law prohibits discrimination based on sex, including issues related to pregnancy and childbirth.

The civil lawsuit states that after refusing to fill the prescription, Badeaux also refused to tell Anderson where else she could get it filled, as required by state law, NBC News reports. Anderson was later able to receive her prescription at a different pharmacy.

Jury selection for the case began Monday and the case is expected to conclude this week, per CBS News.

RELATED VIDEO: In Concurring Opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas Writes Court 'Should Reconsider' Rulings Legalizing Gay Marriage and Birth Control

The trial comes as a number of political leaders have been vocal about their desire to see bans and restrictions on contraceptives following the end of Roe v. Wade.

Most notably, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas penned a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organizationwhich overturned the constitutional right to abortion — and suggested the court reconsider other key decisions, including Griswold v. Connecticut, the ruling that currently protects the right to buy and use contraceptives without government restriction.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would protect the right to contraception. The bill, called the Right to Contraception Act, would guarantee the right for access to birth control and protect a variety of contraceptives. It would also ensure that health care providers have the right to provide contraception to patients.

In recent weeks, there has also been a surge in demand for emergency contraceptives. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, emergency contraception "reduces the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse."

Emergency contraception can be used after "forgetting to take several birth control pills in a row, having a condom break or slip off, or not using a birth control method during sex. It also can be used after a woman has been raped," according to the organization.

Last month, a pharmaceutical company submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration for the first-ever over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States.

Though the company, HRA Pharma, said its application was unrelated to recent events and the timing is "a really sad coincidence," Frédérique Welgryn, chief strategic operations and innovation officer at HRA Pharma, called the move "a groundbreaking moment in contraceptive access and reproductive equity in the U.S."

Related Articles