A bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense birth control will be heard today in the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
“We have made tremendous progress in recent years in reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies,” said Sen. Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence), who is sponsoring the bill. “A huge part of that is increased access to contraceptives. This bill will give more people access and control over if and when they get pregnant.”
The bill (2023-S 0103) would allow licensed pharmacists to prescribe and dispense FDA-approved hormonal contraceptives. Pharmacists who did not receive education on hormonal contraception during college would have to complete additional education. Prescribing pharmacists would have to provide patients with a screening tool for any potential risk factors. Insurers would be required to cover such prescriptions and related counseling.
“This bill will reduce barriers and increase access to effective contraception for Rhode Islanders,” said Nicole Jellinek, chair of the Rhode Island Coalition for Reproductive Freedom. “As Rhode Island struggles with a shortage of primary care providers, pharmacists are medical professionals working in every city and town with expanded hours beyond most traditional medical offices. They can help make contraceptives more accessible to everyone who needs them.”
In 2016, Oregon became the first state to allow pharmacists to prescribe FDA-approved hormonal birth control medications. A study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that, in the first two years of the program, the bill prevented 50 unplanned pregnancies. This is a significant benefit to the individuals who have greater control over whether and when to have children, but it also saved taxpayers $1.6 million in public costs associated with medical care for those avoided pregnancies.
In the years since, 21 other states have joined Oregon including Utah, Vermont and New Hampshire. Studies have found that patients who have been prescribed hormonal contraceptives by pharmacists have had no difference in safety compared to usual prescribers.
A key component of Senator Kallman’s bill, advocates say, is requiring insurers to cover prescriptions and related counseling, even if the pharmacist is out of network. Pharmacists are currently not contracted with insurers as individual providers. But without this financial component, pharmacies would not have the resources, they say, to train their staff, help screen and prescribe to patients.
“Pharmacists are accessible, well trained and would help identify high-risk patients who are currently without a primary care or reproductive health provider,” said Chris Federico PharmD, BCACP and president-elect of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association. “The coverage component of this bill allows a framework to allocate resources and expand services. Without it, pharmacies or pharmacists would not be able to increase access for patients. We look forward to supporting this legislation as it promotes further collaboration with our medical colleagues, and most importantly, the health of Rhode Islanders.”
Rep. Camille F.J. Vella-Wilkinson (D-Dist. 21, Warwick) has introduced similar legislation (2023-H 5282) in the House.
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