Garden Goddess

Lee Scott
Chief Executive Officer
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611

Mr. Scott:

As Chief Executive Officer of one of the largest retail organizations, you are faced with difficult decisions every day. I applaud Walmart’s decision, made effective March 30, 2006, to begin carrying emergency contraception pills at locations with pharmacies.

Pharmacists employed by Walmart, of course, do have the right to choose not to dispense this medication by invoking the “conscience clause.” As a national corporation, I realize state laws mandate behaviors of pharmacists.

The purpose of my letter is to ask your consideration of the following:

•Encourage your human resources staff to be selective when hiring staff for the pharmacy. As health care professionals, they deal daily with customer’s health care needs.
•Women’s issues require special sensitivity. Individuals who are having prescriptions filled for emergency contraception have already experienced emotional distress. It is not right, fair, or appropriate for your pharmacists to make a judgment as to whether a prescription for this medicine should be filled If a prescription has been written by another health care professional, this should provide adequate assurance for your staff to ethically and morally fill the prescription.
•Treatment of women fairly and equitably is essential. It is impossible for anyone to judge an individual. A woman has a right to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy. It’s the law; individuals cannot override this decision.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read this letter.

Sincerely,