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| Helping pharmacy & health communities improve access to Emergency Contraception (EC) |
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EC PHARMACY UPDATEOn December 14, 2005, the Massachusetts law requiring hospital emergency departments to offer EC to rape survivors and allowing pharmacists to dispense EC through a collaborative agreement with a physician became effective. Please see the joint guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Health regarding pharmacist dispensing of EC (PDF-128), and for the EC model standing order (PDF-104K). In the same week, Governor Mitt Romney withdrew a proposal to exempt private hospitals from the law. On September 15, 2005, the Massachusetts House and Senate overrode a veto by Governor Romney on SB 2073/HB 1643, as was expected. This legislation (SB 2073 (formerly 1319) / HB 1643) was introduced in 2005. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health was expected to outline a ruling in mid-December that would exempt Catholic and other private hospitals from this law. The Massachusetts EC Network has produced a Pharmacy Access Action Kit in conjunction with NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts that Massachusetts residents can use to visit local pharmacists and encourage them to participate in the new EC pharmacy access law. Right now, only a handful of pharmacists have signed up to dispense EC to women who walk in without a prescription. Download the action kit (DOC-484K) now, or read more about it in the latest EC Network Newsletter (PDF-152K). Governor Mitt Romney vetoed SB 1319 on July 25, 2005, citing his belief that EC functions as an abortion pill in some circumstances and that bill would change state abortion laws. The Legislature has adjourned for the summer so lawmakers can either take up the measure in the fall or convene for a special session. Similar legislation was proposed in 2003, when it passed the Massachusetts Senate. However, the House failed to vote on the measure before the end of the legislative session. Click here to read press coverage and click here to view a fact sheet on the Massachusetts legislation. At the hearing on the bill before the Joint Committee on Health Care, two clinical pharmacists testified (DOC-40K) in favor of the bill. The bill was also supported by the following organizations:
Pharmacists also introduced a bill granting much broader collaborative drug therapy , which was strongly opposed by several medical societies. Legislators indicated that the collaborative drug therapy law would have encompassed the pharmacy access to EC legislation and asked for one bill. Massachusetts has an active EC Network made up of several organizations, including Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, and the Department of Public Health, which has helped to reach out to pharmacists. Projects include:
In collaboration with Northeastern University’s continuing education program, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts and the EC Network offered a training program on EC in July 2004 for 100 pharmacists in Central Massachusetts. The program included a presentation on conscience clauses that was led by the president of the State Board of Registration in Pharmacy. Although the state does not have laws permitting pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for drugs to which they are personally opposed, pharmacy survey results showed that some individual pharmacists continue to refuse to fill EC prescriptions and do not refer women to other pharmacies. The continuing education program will be repeated in November of 2004 for Western Massachusetts pharmacists, and will be audiotaped and put online for CE credit by the Northeastern University School of Pharmacy. The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts makes EC available online at www.pplm.org as well as at their three clinic locations in Boston, Worcester and Springfield. For press coverage in this state, click here.
CONTACTSJulia Gaggin Humphreys, MPH Karen Edlund Melissa Kogut Petra Langer Patricia Conner Stacie Garnett Public
Affairs Coordinator Director of Patient Services Clinical Services Director Rebekah E. Gee, MD, MPH John Heffernan
USEFUL LINKSMassachusetts Board of Pharmacy Massachusetts Pharmacists Association Massachusetts Legislature Massachusetts Department of Public Health Tapestry Health Health Quarters Health Care of Southeastern Massachusetts, Inc. Action for Boston Community Development Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
PROTOCOL ENVIRONMENTOptimal Environment: No Revision to Authority Necessary Existing statutes and regulations would accommodate pharmacists’ initiation of emergency contraception, generally under a collaborative practice agreement (protocol) with a prescriber. Pharmacist initiation of EC requires:
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