Oregon has passed a bill to allow birth control to be available over-the-counter, meaning without prescription. The state will be the first in the country to permit this if it goes through completely.
California attempted a similar law in 2013, however its implementation has since been delayed due to medical boards struggling over rules allowing pharmacists to prescribe the medication.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
“In Oregon, the state Health Authority, Board of Nursing and Board of Pharmacy have met to discuss regulations and training to allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control. They already can prescribe smoking cessation drugs and travel pills.”
The bill was passed overwhelmingly through the state House and Senate, was signed by Governor Kate Brown, and will go into effect at the start of 2016.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown. Photo from Wikipedia.
“It makes no sense that men should have unrestricted access to contraceptives, while women must first get a prescription from their physician,” said Republican state Rep. Knute Buehler, an orthopedic surgeon who introduced the bill. “Birth control should be as easy and accessible as possible.”
Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado and Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington state have already introduced into the US Senate measures which would allow women to purchase FDA-approved birth control pills over-the-counter in pharmacies.
This legislation is significant because currently women are severely restricted in their means of obtaining birth control. Prescriptions are required, and there are 30, 60, or 90 day limits upon refills.
This law makes women eligible to purchase birth control whether or not they’ve been prescribed it by a doctor, and teenagers will be allowed to purchase hormonal or oral contraception with previous prescription. A second law that also passed nearly-unanimously on Thursday allows women to obtain a yearlong supply of birth control rather than facing monthlong or three-monthlong refill limits.