GREENFIELD -- A new federal rule meant to protect the personal and religious beliefs of healthcare workers could restrict some drugs and services here in the Ozarks.

It's a last-minute Bush administration plan that's causing controversy. The proposed rule would allow doctors and pharmacists to refuse to grant certain reproductive health services, like abortion and contraceptives -- if they're morally opposed to it.

The rule is prompting objections and some confusion locally about what it means. But several local pharmacists believe they have the right to refuse any type of drug, if they don't want to distribute it.

In Greenfield, if a girl or woman needed emergency contraception, she wouldn't be able to receive it at the town's only pharmacy.

"We choose not to do the morning after pill," said Pharmacist Randy Meents.

It's a moral position for Meents.

"If a pharmacist is uncomfortable filling a prescription for any reason not just this, but any prescription, he has a right as a professional to take that back to the patient," Meents said.

But women's reproductive groups and even President-elect Barack Obama have said that attitude will raise new hurdles for those seeking birth control pills and emergency contraception.

Planned Parenthood is one of the most vocal objectors. The group argues that the plan could force some healthcare and family planning groups to hire employees who may refuse to do their jobs.

"This midnight regulation undermines this country's fragile healthcare system as well as patients access to health care information and services," said Alison Gee of St. Louis Planned Parenthood.

"Some pharmacists believe we shouldn't sell any type of contraception at all, I don't agree with that," said Meents.

Even without the rule, Meents has operated his pharmacy on guidelines he's comfortable with. He dismissed the claim that access to services would suffer. If the morning after pill is needed in Greenfield, Meents said he offers a referral to a neighbor.

"If we have a rare instance where somebody needs that, we refer them to that," Meents said.