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BOSTON (State House News Service) - In a bid to expand reproductive health care access, public health officials are working to allow certain pharmacists to dispense hormonal contraceptives directly to patients.
Proposed regulations, which were discussed and vetted on an emergency basis during a virtual Public Health Council meeting Wednesday, would authorize pharmacists to prescribe and provide hormonal contraceptives patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives to people, regardless of whether a primary care provider has previously prescribed the medication.
"These are timely as we both address shifting policy and reproductive health in states across the country, and as we welcome more individuals into our emergency assistance programs, many of whom will be able to benefit from the access to timely and necessary reproductive health care that these amendments provide," Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein said at the meeting.
Written By Alison Kuznitz/SHNS
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