Harris Teeter says it is company policy to stock Plan B.
Jennifer Panetta, a spokeswoman for the Matthews-based grocery chain, said that all of its stores are supposed to carry emergency contraception, though they may only have one pill in stock.
If a store runs out, pharmacists are supposed to recommend a nearby Harris Teeter and order another pill on the next truck, which could come in one or two days, depending on the location.
When taken within 72 hours of intercourse, the pill can prevent a pregnancy. A survey by NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina found that three Harris Teeter stores did not have the pill in stock despite corporate policy on multiple occasions.
Panetta said the stores have been contacted and they now have the pill in stock.
More after the jump.
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NARAL decided to focus on Harris Teeter after a Nov. 16, 2006, article in the Winston-Salem Journal quoted a company spokeswoman saying they were not sure if they would stock it.
Harris Teeter has since decided it will stock the pill. Although it is approved for over-the-counter sales by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the pill is kept behind the pharmacist's counter, Panetta said.
If a pharmacist objects to selling it, he or she is supposed to alert the store manager, who will complete the sale. None of the three stores that did not have it after multiple tries had pharmacists who have objected, she said.
Panetta said the stores usually stock one pill because it is not a high-demand item and can be restocked quickly. She said she could not believe that NARAL's survey was accurate, given the company policy.
"We just don't see how that's possible," she said.
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