North Carolina expands birth control access
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Women in North Carolina can soon get hormonal birth control without a prescription from a doctor.
A new law passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will expand access to health care for millions of women, as the Raleigh News & Observer first reported.
- It took effect Tuesday. It’s part of a bill that says any pharmacist qualified to give vaccines can also dispense birth control pills and patches.
Why it matters: This measure could help shrink North Carolina’s 44% unplanned pregnancy rate, per the N&O.
- It also eliminates barriers, including the cost and time of going to the doctor, for women seeking care.
Details: The law requires patients seeking contraceptives to complete an assessment consistent with the CDC’s U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria (US MEC).
- It also allows pharmacists to dispense glucagon for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia.
- The law does not give pharmacists the ability to dispense emergency contraception (i.e. the morning after pill). But that’s already available over the counter, as WRAL notes.
The state health director, Betsey Tilson, needs to issue a standing order to make the birth control measure operational. That’s expected imminently, says Jay Campbell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy.
“Dr. Tilson has been focused on this and engaged on this. I expect that standing order will come pretty soon but I don’t have a date,” Campbell tells Axios.
Also, the birth control provision is part of a law says pharmacists must obtain a parent or guardian’s consent before giving a minor a vaccine that’s been granted emergency use authorization but isn’t fully FDA approved. Such vaccines include many of those for COVID-19.
What they’re saying: “Can we just all agree that an abortion is a bad outcome for everybody?” Sen. Jim Burgin, a Republican from Harnett County who championed the legislation, told the N&O. “What can we do to prevent people from ever having to make that decision? And so the best way to do that is to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.”
Zoom out: Expanded access to contraceptives in North Carolina comes as the Supreme Court is gearing up to weigh in on a case that could determine the fate of Roe v. Wade, which protects access to abortion nationwide.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include details on the state health director’s standing order.