Women in Delaware now have significantly greater access to contraceptive pills, patches, vaginal rings, injectables and other birth control medications thanks to legislation passed by Sen. Marie Pinkney.
Six decades after the pill was first approved by the FDA, nearly 7 out of 10 women over the age of 15 actively use some form of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies, regulate their menstrual cycle, manage endometriosis and reduce the risk of uterine cancer and ovarian cysts.
Until the passage of Senate Bill 105, those products were only available in Delaware with a prescription from a healthcare practitioner, which created an unnecessary and inequitable hurdle for women unable to find a primary care doctor, the transportation to visit a provider or the freedom to take off work to keep those appointments.
Passed with bipartisan support, Senate Bill 105 allowed pharmacists in the First State to dispense contraceptives and administer injectables directly to patients under a standing order from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services.
SB 105 also directed DHSS to develop rules and regulations that spell out the conditions under which a pharmacist may dispense contraceptives, the standard procedures for selecting an appropriate contraceptive and the length of time a person may receive contraceptives without an examination by a healthcare practitioner.
Under the law, pharmacists are required to complete an approved training program, provide a self-screening risk assessment to patients, and provide a written summary of the evaluation to DHSS.
