Contact: Bogomir Kuhar, PharmD, Pharmacist for Life International, 740-881-5520

MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following comments may be credited to Frank Manion, Esq., ACLJ Counsel:

[The group of seven individual Illinois pharmacists] did not sign on to the settlement agreement between Walgreens and the state. We separately agreed to drop our claims against the state in exchange for the state's agreement that they would interpret the Rule as not applying to individual pharmacists.

In spite of its shortcomings, the bottom line is that this settlement is a victory for prolife pharmacists. Please remember where we were and how far we've come on this issue. In April of 2005, [the IL] Governor issued an edict that he said required every Illinois pharmacist to dispense Plan B, no ifs, ands, or buts. According to the Governor, pharmacists who didn't want to do it should find other professions. Pharmacists were no different than grocery store cashiers, etc. Confusion followed, with licensure actions taken by the state against Walgreens and Osco over pharmacist refusals and with Walgreens firing several employees who refused to agree, in advance, to sign away their conscience rights. Pharmacists at Walgreens and other companies were in limbo about whether or not they had a right to refuse to dispense, whether or not the Health Care Right of Conscience Act applied to them (the Governor said it did not) and whether or not they were even "health care professionals" under the Act (the Governor said they were not).

We responded by bringing a series of legal actions. ...

For the remainder of Frank Manion's comments visit www.pfli.org/articles/20071013illinoislawsuits.html