A CVS pharmacist was fired this week after he refused to refill a transgender woman's prescription.
In a blog post featured on the ACLU website, Arizona resident Hilde Hall said she was “elated” to start her first round of hormone treatment after visiting her doctor’s office in late April; however, when she attempted to collect her prescription at the chain drug store, she was declined without any explanation:
Hall said she was humiliated during the encounter, and believed that the pharmacist was trying to out her as a transgender woman. Furthermore, when she asked for her prescription note back, the pharmacist allegedly refused, which prevented her from immediately getting the hormones at another pharmacy.
Hall said she reached out to the CVS corporate office multiple times, but no one ever addressed her concerns. So, she decided to file a complaint to the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy on Thursday, insisting something had to be done.
Shortly after she filed her complaint, CVS issued an apology and announced the pharmacist had been terminated:
According to AZCentral, Arizona is one of six states that “allows pharmacies and pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription on religious or moral grounds”; however, the pharmacists are required to inform their employer about any religious convictions in advance.