Rhode Island Pharmacists Could Soon Prescribe Birth Control

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island pharmacists may soon be able to prescribe birth control pills, thanks to new legislation approved by the state's House of Representatives this week. If signed into law, the bill would require that pharmacists complete a training program before writing prescriptions.

Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson, the bill's sponsor, said it "would improve the quality of life for so many women" to be able to have convenient, local access to prescription birth control.

"Taking time off work, finding transportation to a clinic and paying for a doctor’s visit is a lot of work to get birth control," the Warwick Democrat said, adding that pharmacists could be better utilized within the health care system. "Laws that keep developing and whose policies are incorporated into practice will allow the profession to expand and better serve patients. Prescribing birth control is a major step in pharmacists’ ability to take some of the workload off physicians, use their knowledge to the fullest, and enhance the patient’s health care experience."

Rhode Island would not be the first state to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control, and would be one of seven states to pass such legislation.

The training program for pharmacists would include information about all kinds of FDA-approved contraceptive products, including those out of a pharmacist's purview. Providers would also be required to provide a self-screening risk assessment to patients before submitting the prescription.

"Some states have found a decrease in abortion rates following enactment of this law," Vella-Wilkinson continued. "According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control, research shows that access to effective birth control leads to lower abortion rates, likely by helping to prevent unintended pregnancies."

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.