On April 8, California became the third state in the U.S. (following Washington and Oregon) to allow women to obtain hormonal birth control patches, pills, vaginal ring or injection without a prescription or age restriction. (There is also no age requirement for minors to request birth control from a doctor.)
The contraceptives can now be dispensed by pharmacists, but pharmacies are not obligated to participate, and there’s no deadline for them to make a decision. Some pharmacists could decide to charge a fee to dispense birth control.
Malibu’s three pharmacies are now wrestling with their decisions. The Los Angeles Times reported that “CVS is waiting to review the final rules.” However, Kathleen Besinque, associate professor of clinical pharmacy at USC, said in an email to The Malibu Times that the protocols are already “as final as things can be,” although there could always be some “refinements and adjustments” in the future.
A pharmacist at the Malibu CVS, Naghi Pantea, confirmed that the CVS corporate office hadn’t decided yet how they were going to handle the new California law. Pharmacist Frank Shahri at Super Care Drugs also said that his employers, who own a second drugstore in Beverly Hills, have not made any decisions.
At the Dume Plaza Pharmacy, pharmacist Seema Patel said she would probably make her decision about whether to participate in about two weeks. She still needed to check on whether her liability insurance rates would go up if she decided to dispense birth control, and various other administrative details. And, although Patel said she has nothing against birth control from a religious standpoint, she is not sure how she would feel if a “12-year-old” walked in and asked for it. She also needed to confirm whether the law includes pharmacists dispensing birth control pills for “off-label” uses like acne treatment.
When asked if birth control prescriptions might become cheaper now that a doctor’s prescription is technically not required, neither Patel or Pantea thought that would be the case. In fact, Patel said that most drugs that have gone from being prescription-only to over-the-counter have actually become more expensive in the process.
The California legislature passed the law on Oct. 1, 2013, with the intent to increase availability of birth control and reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies. The state’s Board of Pharmacy then developed a set of protocols, which had to be reviewed by a number of state administrative agencies and two professional boards. That’s why the so-called “over-the-counter” option for birth control did not officially become available until this month.
This does not mean birth control pills will now be on pharmacy shelves along with Ibuprofen and Band-Aids. U.S. Food & Drug Administration restrictions prevent many drugs, including ones for birth control, from being truly over-the-counter.
To get birth control from a participating pharmacy in California, a woman will need to fill out a brief health questionnaire, consult with her pharmacist and, in some cases, have her blood pressure taken. Pharmacists are required to recommend that patients see a physician if they think further guidance or medical care is needed.
Before the new law went into effect, a woman had to visit a physician’s office to get a prescription. Proponents of the bill said studies have proven that the often time-consuming process of making an appointment and seeing a doctor to get contraception effectively limits access. With the new law, a woman can go to the pharmacy, get a prescription and fill that prescription, all in one visit.
The responsibilities of pharmacists are also expanding in other ways. The new law also allows them to furnish emergency contraception drug therapy (Plan B, also known as the morning-after pill), nicotine replacement products, prescription medications not requiring a diagnosis that are recommended for international travelers and routine vaccinations.
Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, made insurance coverage of all FDA-approved methods of birth control mandatory for most individuals and employers effective Aug. 1, 2011 (except for grandfathered plans and religious organizations).