Amendment ID: S2996-7-R1

Redraft Amendment 7

Access to Hormonal Contraceptives

Mr. Moore and Ms. Gobi move that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section 7 the following section:-

"SECTION 7A. Said chapter 94C is hereby amended by inserting after section 19D the following section:-

Section 19E. (a) A registered pharmacist may prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives to a person who is:

(i) 18 years of age or older, regardless of whether the person has evidence of a previous prescription from a primary care practitioner or women’s health care practitioner for a hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive; or

(i) Less than 18 years of age; provided, however, that the registered pharmacist may prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives to the person only if the person has evidence of a previous prescription from a primary care practitioner or women’s health care practitioner for a hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive.

(b) The department shall adopt rules to establish, in consultation with the board of registration in medicine, the board of registration in pharmacy and MassHealth, and in consideration of guidelines established by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, standard procedures for the prescribing of hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives by pharmacists.

(c) The rules adopted under this section shall: (i) require a pharmacist to: (A) complete a training program approved by the board of pharmacy that is related to prescribing hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives; (B) provide a self-screening risk assessment tool that the patient shall use prior to the pharmacist’s prescribing the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive; (C) refer the patient to the patient’s primary care practitioner or women’s health care practitioner upon prescribing and dispensing the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive; (D) provide the patient with a written record of the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive prescribed and dispensed and advise the patient to consult with a primary care practitioner or women’s health care practitioner; and (E) dispense the hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive to the patient as soon as practicable after the pharmacist issues the prescription; and (ii) prohibit a pharmacist from: (A) requiring a patient to schedule an appointment with the pharmacist for the prescribing or dispensing of a hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive; and (B) prescribing and dispensing a hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive to a patient who previously received a prescription and dispensation of a hormonal contraceptive patch or self-administered oral hormonal contraceptive by a pharmacist and who does not have evidence of a clinical visit for women’s health within 1 year immediately following such previous prescription and dispensation.".