Last year, a CVS nurse practitioner was fired after she refused to prescribe contraceptives due to her religious convictions. The pharmacy promptly fired her and she filed a lawsuit. She believed that to write that prescription would have been a violation of her sincerely held Roman Catholic beliefs. Last week, the two parties reached a settlement out of court. However, this issue points to conscience rights and religious freedom in the public arena. In Kentucky, there’s been an effort to protect the conscience rights of healthcare providers. It’s called SB 132, and it would have protected the CVS nurses religious freedom. The bill didn’t pass this year’s legislative session. But it’s expected to come up next session.
