Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes pharmacies to prescribe certain hormonal contraception.

Highlights:

• Defines “hormonal contraceptive patch" as a transdermal patch applied to the skin of a patient, by the patient or by a practitioner, that releases a drug composed of a combination of hormones that is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy (Sec. 3).

• Defines “self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive" as a drug composed of a combination of hormones that is approved by the federal food and drug administration to prevent pregnancy and that the patient to whom the drug is prescribed may take orally (Sec. 3).

• Requires a pharmacist to do all of the following (Sec. 4-3):

• Provide the self-assessment questionnaire to a patient prior to the pharmacist's prescribing the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive to the patient;

• Report to the patient's primary care practitioner upon prescribing and dispensing the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive; and

• Provide the patient with a written record of the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive prescribed and dispensed.

• Prohibits a pharmacist from prescribing and dispensing a hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive to a patient unless all of the following apply (Sec. 4-4):

• The patient has responded to the self-assessment questionnaire and undergone a blood pressure screening; and

• The use of the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive by the patient is not contraindicated based upon the results of the questionnaire and screening.

• Increases penalties for any person who violates these rules by enforcing a fine of $250-$2,500 for each violation (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes the Pharmacy Examining Board to promulgate emergency rules necessary to implement this act and specifies that the examining board is not required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text