[chimeracoder]

> The one (and only) time I filled a prescription for propecia a couple decades ago, one of the warnings said something akin to: pregnant women should not even touch a broken propecia capsule due to the risk of birth defect.

Lots of drugs are bad for pregnant and/or nursing women. Propecia is not particularly special in this regard, nor is it especially dangerous compared to all the other drugs out there which are also bad for pregnant women.

"Do not handle" is a warning for topical formulations, just because those are intended to be absorbed transdermally.