Back in 2021 the state legislature passed, and the governor signed a bill giving pharmacists the ability to dispense oral and other contraceptives that currently require a prescription to fill.
The law didn’t take immediate effect because the AZ Board of Pharmacy needed to write rules outlining things pharmacists need to do in order to dispense without a prescription. Those rules were approved by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council on Wednesday.
Today (Thursday) ADHS’ Chief Medical Officer for Public Health (Lisa Villarroel, MD MPH) issued a thorough Standing Order for the Self-administration of Hormonal Contraceptives, including the self-screening questionnaire… the final piece of the puzzle needed for pharmacists to dispense those kinds of contraceptives without an initial doctor visit or physician prescription.
View ADHS’ Standing Order and Self-screening Questionnaire
As with pretty much any public health intervention, there are benefits and risks. On the benefit side, the measure will improve community health and well-being by improving access, make it easier to space pregnancies (which improves maternal and child health).
On the risk side, there is a chance some women will skip annual checkups and screenings. There are also some medical conditions that put women at higher risk for side effects from oral contraceptives that could be missed under the new system, which is why the statute, and the Board of Pharmacy rules require that the pharmacist review the self-assessment before filling the order.
View the proposed rules: 4 AAC 23_March 21, 2023
View the Statute View ARS 32-1979.01
The Arizona Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the new law and the Board’s rules: See their Letter
“By implementing the 2021 legislation, these rules will improve access to these types of contraceptives, especially for low-income patients and those who live in rural areas. Self-administered hormonal contraception improves community health and well-being, reduces global maternal mortality, creates health benefits of pregnancy spacing for maternal and child health and allows for mothers to engage in economic self-sufficiency.”
Since 2012 ACOG has endorsed this model of access to hormonal contraception to minimize barriers to access. Studies have shown these medications can be safely dispensed using the health risk screening questionnaire that is required in the legislation and reflected in the rules— this will help women and their pharmacists determine which medication is right for them and what is safe based on their individual health history.”
AzPHA supported the 2021 bill that set this intervention in motion because we believed that the public health benefits of greater access outweigh the risks. We look forward to the ADHS self-assessment screening guidance and standing orders so this intervention can be implemented.
Arizona could begin giving expanded access to birth control in July (azcentral.com)
