Emergency Contraception Refusal Due to Religious Beliefs Leads to Warning for Lloydspharmacy Locum Pharmacist

Allegations

The case revolved around an incident on 24 July 2022, when the registrant, working as a locum Responsible Pharmacist at a Lloyds Pharmacy situated within a supermarket, refused to supply emergency hormonal contraception (EHC), also known as the “morning after pill”, to a patient. The refusal was explicitly based on the registrant’s personal religious beliefs. The central concern was not the refusal itself — which is permissible under GPhC guidance if handled appropriately — but rather how the situation was managed.

The concern was brought to the GPhC’s attention not by the patient, but by a pharmacy dispenser colleague, Ms G, who submitted an online concern form on the same evening of the incident. Ms G alleged the registrant had acted unprofessionally, particularly due to handling the EHC request in the open pharmacy area. Her report triggered a formal GPhC fitness to practise investigation. Another colleague, Ms A, also gave significant testimony during the hearing, which supported the claim that the registrant failed to adequately protect the patient’s privacy and dignity.