New Law Allows Birth Control Pills to Be Pharmacist Prescribed

OR pharmacists have gotten approval from state officials to prescribe birth control pills to qualifying women.

OR was the first state to adopt the new policy, and California is expected to follow suit soon.

There are still some restrictions, however.

According to Dr. Edelman some health care providers are anxious that women will stop showing up for their regular check-ups if they will be able to get birth control from the pharmacist.

Although the birth control pills will be available without a prescription, according to KOIN reports, the women will still have to fulfill some formalities by filling up a questionnaire on their health at the pharmacy store that will be considered as a prescription and will have to discuss with the pharmacist regarding their choice of a particular pill.

That is the part of the law that has its critics concerned.

Some people worry that the new law will thwart young women from check-ups. Cervical cancer, after all, is the easiest reproductive system cancer to avoid that can be prevented through regular visits to the doctor. According to the new law effective from January 1, 2016, Oregonians can obtain pharmacist-prescribed birth control tablets. Proponents like Dr. Alison Edelman, see the move as positive but cautions, “just having birth control accessible through a pharmacist doesn’t mean preventative health care isn’t important”.

Pharmacists will still be allowed to refuse clients for religious reasons but if they do that they have the obligation to refer the patient to another pharmacy. The Californian women will have the advantage of age relaxation; however, they will still be required to fulfill all the formalities as made mandatory by the new Oregonian state law. It is known that insurance companies should cover the supply of a complete year of birth control pills, so women will be allowed to buy them in just one time. “Obviously we try to hit all of those in one visit, but really we shouldn’t be holding women hostage for them to be getting their birth control”. Though, birth control pills don’t protect against STDs and do carry certain side effect risks, small risks are associated with such pills compared to many other over-the-counter drugs. Birth control has been the subject of plenty of controversy in the U.S.in recent years, with religious organizations often opposing efforts to make birth control easier to get. Details of the new law are still being worked out by lawmakers in Sacramento. The state will also now have automated voter registrations, a wording change on state marriage licenses from “husband and wife” to “spousees in legal marriage”, and employees will get paid sick days.