CVS apologizes after transgender woman says she was denied a hormone prescription

CVS apologizes after transgender woman says she was denied a hormone prescription CBSN Ã— ...

CVS apologizes after transgender woman says she was denied a hormone prescription

CBSN

Ã—

This January 18, 2017, file photo shows a CVS Pharmacy in Pittsburgh.

CVS Health is apologizing to a transgender woman who says she was denied a hormone prescription by a pharmacist at the drugstore chain. The company apologized on social media Friday, noting that the pharmacist is also no longer employed by CVS.

Hilde Hall, who lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona, was "elated" to fill her first hormone therapy prescription after leaving her doctor's office in April, she wrote in a blog post posted Thursday on the ACLU's website.

"I was finally going to start seeing my body reflect my gender identity and the woman I've always known myself to be," Hall wrote.

She said when she handed her three prescriptions to the pharmacist, he refused to fill one of the medications without giving a clear reason for the denial. The pharmacist "kept asking, loudly and in front of other CVS staff and customers, why I was given the prescriptions," Hall wrote.

Hall said she was mortified and distressed, adding that the pharmacist wouldn't hand the prescription note back to her so she could take it to another drugstore.

"If there is an instance where a particular pharmacist has a belief that they can't fill a prescription, they need to take action right away to make sure that someone else is taking care of it," Steve Kilar, ACLU of Arizona's communications director, told CBS Arizona affiliate KPHO.

Arizona is one of six states that allow pharmacies and pharmacists to refuse to fill some medications -- usually those related to emergency contraception -- on religious or moral grounds. Arizona does have a law to protect medical professionals who choose not to participate in abortion-related practices or procedures due to personal beliefs, KPHO notes.

Last month in Arizona, a Walgreens pharmacist denied a woman's prescription to end her pregnancy after a doctor told her the fetus was no longer viable, KPHO reported. The pharmacist said it was against his personal beliefs.

"There isn't a similar statute in Arizona that allows pharmacists to refuse service related to other medications," Kilar told the station.

On Friday, CVS Health shared a statement on social media about the incident, saying the pharmacist's conduct "violated company policies and does not reflect our values or our commitment to inclusion, nondiscrimination and the delivery of outstanding patient care."

CVS Health also said it is "very proud" to have received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for the past four consecuti ve years. The index ranks companies based on their policies regarding LGBTQ equality.

"We also apologize for not appropriately following up on Ms. Hall's original complaint to CVS, which was due to an unintentional oversight, " the company said in its statement. "We pride ourselves in addressing customer concerns in a timely manner and we are taking steps to prevent this isolated occurrence from happening again."

Hall ended up getting her prescription filled at a local Walgreens, "where the medication was filled without question," she wrote. Since her story was posted on the ACLU website, Hall has spoken with a CVS representative about the incident.

Community Guidelines & FAQ

Featured in U.S.

Trump says he believes U.S. intel, but declines to say Putin lied

President Trump sat down with "CBS Evening News" anchor Jeff Glor after returning from his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin
The most dangerous cities in America, ranked

The U.S. saw a 3.4 percent uptick in violent crime in 2016, though rates remain near historic lows. See which cities fared worst
CBS News investigation finds recruiters pay struggling addicts to get high-priced surgery

The non-FDA approved Naltrexone implant makes it impossible for drug users to feel the effects of opioids

Latest from CBS News

"CBSN: On Assignment" ep. 4: Hate Rising; Cyber Soldiers; Deadliest Assignment; Climate Refugees
"CBSN: On Assignment" ep. 3: The Nightmare Scenario; Inside Instagram; Disappearing Down's; Risky Business
& quot;CBSN: On Assignment" ep. 2: Guns of Chicago; Enemy of the State; Muslims Love Me
"CBSN: On Assignment" ep. 1: Children of ISIS; iRobot; Made in America*

Latest from CBS News

Out of Aleppo
Play Video
Israeli military evacuates Syrian White Helmets
Artist Pooja Pittie on her l ighthouse, "Boundless"
Play Video
How the Go-Go's got their name
Play Video
The Go-Go's perform "Head Over Heels"
Play Video
SpaceX launches heavyweight satellite
Hillary Clinton talks Trump-Putin summit, immigration to cheering NYC crowd
"Out of Aleppo": A teen refugee tells his story
Trump SCOTUS nominee suggested court was wrong to force Nixon to turn over Watergate tapes
A reporter reflects: Covering a murder trial for â€œ48 Hoursâ€

CBSN Live

watch

Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS
Newsletters

Popular On CBS News

01
Israeli military evacuates Syrian White Helmets
02
SpaceX launches heavyweight satellite
03
Hillary Clinton talks Trump-Putin summit, immigration to cheering NYC crowd
04
"Out of Aleppo": A teen refugee tells his story
05
Trump SCOTUS nominee suggested court was wrong to force Nixon to turn over Watergate tapes