A flap over birth control pills at an independent drug store in Great Falls has rippled through a chain of similarly named stores in Helena and Billings.

The new owners of Snyder Drug in Great Falls recently decided to phase out the sale of prescription birth control pills, a move that led to some protests, some lost customers and some calls of support -- along with a newspaper story about the controversy.

While the name is close, that independent store bears no relation to Snyder's Western Drug, which has a store in Helena and four more in Billings. But the newspaper story nonetheless confused some customers, who called the Snyder's Western Drug stores, the corporate offices and in one case even the Canadian firm that owns the chain.

"It is sort of a mini-uproar, and we don't want it to get out of hand," said spokeswoman Colleen Bracy from the company's home office in Minneapolis.

Bracy said Snyder's Western Drug has no plans to alter its policy of selling oral contraceptives.

Bob Gardipee, pharmacy manager at the Helena store on North Montana Avenue, said he fielded several phone calls Monday after the news story appeared.

"We've had some calls, some supporting the decision and some against it," he said. "Mostly it's been customers, wondering if this is going to affect them at all."

Snyder's Western Drug includes 65 stores in Minnesota along with the five in Montana, which were named simply Western Drug before being purchased by Snyder's in 2000.

The Snyder's chain is owned by the Katz (pronounced "Kates") Group of Toronto, which operates around 1,800 pharmacies, mostly in Canada, with Medicine Shoppe being the firm's best-known chain. Snyder's is the company's lone U.S. presence.

The Snyder Drug in Great Falls was under local ownership for 44 years before being sold to two couples who cited their faith as the reason they decided to stop carrying birth control pills.