Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy in Fairfax, VA closed down last month because of a lack of customers.
It didn’t help that there were two other pharmacies within walking distance. But why are those pharmacies still in business while this one is closing its doors?
Well… check out what the Christian pharmacy didn’t sell, courtesy of Petula Dvorak at the Washington Post:
… no birth control pills, no condoms, no porn, no tobacco and even no makeup…
…
It makes little sense to make another stop to fill a prescription across the street for moral reasons, especially considering that Kmart is probably a regular shopping place for even the most devout Christians…
“The biggest negative was that convenience factor,” [Divine Mercy Care president John T.] Bruchalski said.
So what’s the right reaction? Do we laugh because they had to shut down?
No. But we can spread the message that health providers shouldn’t decide what services they provide based on their religious preferences. Not because of “conscience clauses,” but because it’s just bad for business.
Ron Lindsay also makes a very good point:
Allowing health care workers to pick and choose among the services they will provide may not only set a dangerous precedent… but it also could result in denial of access to needed health care. In the instance of the Virginia pharmacy, there were obviously competing pharmacies available to provide the services patients desired. That may not be true in rural, isolated communities.
There are places where pharmacies like this one are the only available option. How scary is that?
In the meantime, though, I’m not shedding any tears over the loss of this particular business.