STATEHOUSE (Feb. 21, 2023) – The Indiana House of Representatives this week advanced State Rep. Elizabeth Rowray's (R-Yorktown) legislation to allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills and patches.
Currently, primary physicians can prescribe hormonal contraceptives. Rowray's legislation would allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control to Hoosier women 18 years and older who complete a self-screening. Rowray said many Hoosier women from rural and urban communities struggle to get access to care, including those that don't have a primary care doctor or can't afford transportation to a different city or county for care.
"Women deserve to have access to quality and dependable birth control so they can avoid an unwanted pregnancy," Rowray said. "Pharmacists have the knowledge and skills to take on this responsibility, and pharmacies are often easily located, and you don't have to make an appointment. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues as the bill moves forward."
According to a study from Manatt Health, more than 19 million women across the country do not have access to some form of birth control. Rowray said the bill would allow pharmacists to be reimbursed after prescribing birth control to Medicaid recipients, ensuring low-income Hoosiers can receive this resource. Women who received prescriptions from a pharmacist would also be required to consult with a physician within 12 months after being prescribed by a pharmacist, ensuring medical issues don't arise.
Under Rowray's bill, pharmacists who object on the basis of ethical, moral or religious grounds would not be required to prescribe contraceptives. If passed, Indiana would join nearly half the states in the country that allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraceptives.
House Bill 1568 now heads to Senate for further consideration. For more information, or to watch session and committees live, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Elizabeth Rowray (R-Yorktown) represents House District 35,
which includes portions of Delaware and Madison counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo
PHOTO CAPTION: State Rep. Elizabeth Rowray (R-Yorktown) presents to the House of Representatives her legislation that would allow pharmacists to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptives Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, at the Statehouse. Under the bill, pharmacists could prescribe hormonal contraceptives to Hoosier women after they completed a self-screening. Rowray's legislation now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
