JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Rep. Sheila Solon recently filed legislation to make it easier and more convenient for women in Missouri to obtain birth control medication. Solon filed HB 1679 to allow women to obtain their birth control prescriptions from a pharmacist instead of a physician.
Solon said nearly two-thirds of women in the United States favor making contraceptives available over the counter without a prescription, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also noted that on demand prescriptions were recommended by a panel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2012 and affirmed in 2014.
Solon’s bill would require health insurance plans to cover up to a three month supply the first time the prescription is dispensed, and up to a year supply for any subsequent dispensations of the same contraceptive. Solon said the bill would provide better access to contraceptives by removing the need for a doctor’s prescription.
“This legislation is meant to eliminate barriers to accessing birth control, which include having to make multiple trips to a pharmacy, taking time off from your job to see a doctor, and waiting hours at a doctor’s office for a new prescription,” said Solon, R-Blue Springs, who also noted that a 2011 study for the University of California found a 30 percent drop in unplanned pregnancies for women who have 12-month supplies of contraceptives instead of the typical 30 to 90 day refills many insurers currently cover.
Solon added, “We know that half of all pregnancies are unintended, but better access to birth control pills could decrease unintended pregnancies by 25 percent. With my bill, women will be able to have timely and convenient access to birth control, thus decreasing unintended pregnancies.”
Solon’s bill would allow anyone age 18 or older to obtain a prescription from a pharmacist without the need of a previous prescription from a primary care practitioner or women’s health care practitioner. For anyone under 18 years of age, the bill would require evidence of a previous prescription from a practitioner.
The legislation also calls for the Board of Pharmacy to establish standard procedures for the prescribing of contraceptives by pharmacists.
