Fred Meyer loves the ladies?

Supermarket chain in Washington state helps make getting E.C. easy.

Published December 14, 2005 9:22PM (EST)

Broadsheet reader Deb Alterman writes to let us know that lately she's been taking her business to her local Kroger-subsidiary Fred Meyer store, where, she reports, a sign in the pharmacy clearly reads: "Emergency contraception available without prior prescription." (And she's letting Target know about it.)

So that's cool. But before we go totally gaga over Fred, let's keep in mind that Deb's in Washington state, one of the seven states (with Massachusetts on the way) that permits over-the-counter sales of E.C. So Fred's really just following the law. Still, it's nice that the store is upfront about letting women know.

Does Fred Meyer have an official policy on E.C., apart from state law? The Kroger P.R. department has not yet returned Broadsheet's call requesting information. Could that be because Kroger also owns Fry's (the pharmacy, not the geek supply store), which is apparently where the Arizona rape survivor was refused E.C.? Just curious.

We hope Planned Parenthood ranks these stores on its scorecard soon.


By Lynn Harris

Award-winning journalist Lynn Harris is author of the comic novel "Death by Chick Lit" and co-creator of BreakupGirl.net. She also writes for the New York Times, Glamour, and many others.

MORE FROM Lynn Harris


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Broadsheet Love And Sex