Sydney, Australia, Oct 12, 2009 / 22:56 pm
A Catholic pharmacist in Australia has come under criticism for his decision to stop selling contraceptives and condoms.
Trevor Dal Broi, who runs East Griffith Pharmacy in New South Wales, is now handing out a leaflet to women with prescriptions for the contraceptive pill, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The leaflets say he accepts the teachings of the Catholic Church on artificial contraception and that he has a moral objection to dispensing them.
Dal Broi, who is married with four children, did not explain his decision to the press. He has also banned the sale of emergency contraception pills. The pills have been available without a prescription for between $20 and $30 since 2004.
New South Wales Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt told the Sydney Morning Herald there was no legislation that compelled a pharmacist to supply or stock any medicine. She claimed that experts believe condoms play a very important role in preventing sexually transmitted diseases.