Birth Control Now Available From Pharmacists
The 2013 law went into effect on Friday, making California the third state to allow women to get birth control from a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.
Officials announced Friday that girls and women in California can now drop by their neighborhood pharmacy and pick up birth control pills without a prescription from a doctor. It’s not technically over-the-counter, but you can get them by talking to a pharmacist and filling out a questionnaire. California becomes the third state after Oregon and Washington to allow women to obtain more types of birth control directly from a pharmacist. (Karlamangla, 4/8)
A 2013 law that allows California pharmacists to directly provide prescription contraceptives quietly went into effect, providing a significant new alternative for women but raising concerns among critics who worry the new law sends the wrong message to young teens. “It’s really an opportunity to expand health care,” said Jon Roth, CEO of the California Pharmacists Association, which sponsored the original legislation on behalf of the state’s 6,500 community pharmacies. (Seipel, 4/8)
Here’s what it means for you: The pharmacist will ask you to complete a questionnaire with your medical history. The pharmacist might also take your blood pressure, if the contraceptive you’re requesting poses a risk of high blood pressure. Before providing you with the birth control, the pharmacist will make sure you know how to use it and will discuss its effectiveness, potential side effects and the importance of receiving other preventive health screenings. The pharmacist will also note that hormonal contraception does not protect against sexually transmitted infections. (Plevin, 4/8)
Critics say the new law sends the wrong message to teenage girls by allowing them to more easily get contraceptives. “They say it’s for women, but they mean anyone,” including teenage girls, California Right to Life spokeswoman Camille Giglio said. “The ability to get contraceptives from yet another source is not a benefit to young people,” she added. “It is a barrier to communication between a mother and a child.” (4/9)
As of Friday, girls and women in California can pick up hormonal contraceptives, including pills and patches, at pharmacies without first visiting a doctor. Supporters of the change say that requiring an annual doctor’s visit creates unnecessary barriers to contraception and that easing access could reduce unintended pregnancies. … Many people are raising questions about the new system, in which females of any age in California no longer need a doctor’s prescription to get certain types of birth control. California becomes just the third state to allow women to obtain hormonal birth control directly from a pharmacist, though many more are currently considering similar legislation. (Karlamangla, 4/8)
