California and Oregon To Allow Hormonal Contraceptives Without A Doctor's Prescription

California and Oregon will become the first states to allow women to get birth control pills and hormonal contraceptives directly from their pharmacists, without a doctor’s prescription.

California’s rules are expected to take effect after October 1, 2015, while Oregon’s is expected to take effect after January 1, 2016.

The contraceptives, however, will not be readily available like most over-the-counter products. In California, pharmacists can only dispense the contraceptives after providing a health screening to women and taking their blood pressure. Oregon will also have a similar health screening requirement and is currently developing other specific rules and requirements.

The California law has no age restrictions on patients. Minors in California will have the same access as adults. In Oregon, pharmacists can only provide new birth control prescriptions to women 18 and older. Women under 18 must show proof of prior birth control prescriptions from a physician. In addition, the Oregon State Board of Pharmacy states that it will likely require all of its licensed pharmacists to undergo more training than the one hour of education currently required of all licensed California pharmacists.

While pharmacists in both California and Oregon are preparing for the new regulations, the issues related to insurance reimbursement remain.

Stay tuned to the Baer Law Blog for updates.