CVS Refuses To Sell Plan B To Man In Case He’s A Rapist
Last month we wrote about Plan B or “the morning after pill” not being available over the counter because, you know, girls under 17 might not understand how to swallow a pill with water. Now a CVS pharmacy in Mesquite is taking this ridiculousness one step further; they allegedly refused to sell Plan B to a man because, well, how could they be sure he’s not a rapist?
Yes, I know, I had to do a double-take when reading that, too. It’s shocking! According to the Dallas Observer, Jason Melbourne and his wife had had a little “accident” and so he headed to his local pharmacy to purchase Plan B. A whopping four pharmacies were out of stock, so he called a CVS pharmacy in Mesquite 15 miles away and was told they had just one box left. A relieved Melbourne rushed over, only to have the overnight pharmacist, Minni Matthew, refusing to sell it to him.
Matthew told Melbourne she’d need to see his wife’s ID and speak to her on the phone (for the record, she was at home with their two young children, including a newborn). According to the article, Melbourne became highly irritated, Googled ’emergency contraception’ on his phone and confirmed there was no law against selling the product to a man, and then said he wasn’t going anywhere ’til she sold him the meds.
That’s when Robert, a pharmacy technician intervened, explaining to Melbourne that they don’t sell Plan B to men because they might be giving it to “rape victims.”
Melbourne eventually tracked down the pill at nearby Walgreens but he was still, understandably, pissed off. So he filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for gender discrimination.
Lisa Graybill, legal director of ACLU Texas, says that while CVS’s refusal to sell Plan B to Melbourne isn’t technically illegal, it’s contrary to the FDA guidelines, which states that it’s available to people over the age of 17. “I’m not aware of a single case of a man reportedly buying it to push on his underage pedophile victim,” she said. “I don’t know where these ideas comes from.”
“I’m outraged,” Melbourne told the Dallas Oberserver. “I chased this thing all over town, then I get accused of using this for rape, even after they’ve talked to my wife on the phone. It makes me feel like a piece of crap.” He said he doesn’t want this happening to him or someone else again.
Crazy story, no? Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a man has been denied the emergency contraception; the ACLU received reports that Walgreens stores in Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma were refusing to sell it to men, as well. But I do believe it’s the first time a pharmacist has brought up the whole “rape victim” scenario which, I’m sorry, is just astounding.
On a separate note, if I needed Plan B but wasn’t able to make it to the pharmacy myself, I’d send my husband. If they refused to sell it to him, I’d send my sister, or mother, or BFF. You get the gist. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve waited in line at a pharmacy while the person in front of me is picking up medication for a family member no questions asked. Why should Plan B be any different?
