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| Helping pharmacy & health communities improve access to Emergency Contraception (EC) |
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EC PHARMACY UPDATESince Governor John Lynch signed EC pharmacy access bill (SB 30) into law in June 2005, approximately 200 pharmacists have received training to initiate prescriptions for EC.On June 16, 2005 Governor John Lynch signed EC pharmacy access bill, SB 30 The bill, introduced by Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D), allows pharmacists to initiate emergency contraception drug therapy under procedures approved by the State Board of Pharmacy and a physician or other prescriber. Efforts to add an amendment with an age restriction were unsuccessful. The bill went into effect on August 16, 2005, and planning for implementation has begun. On September 22, 2005, LSR 2169 was posted by Representative Michael A Balboni (R) as it relates to parental notification of a parent or legal guardian of a child who has been provided with emergency contraception by a pharmacist. In January 2006, Representative Balboni introduced HB 1682 of which the companion bill, LSR 2169, was introduced last year. Also in January 2006, a similar bill SB 343 that requires parents or legal guardians to give consent before pharmacists may dispense EC to minors, was introduced by Senator Robert Letourneau (R). This bill was introduced in 2004 as well, passing both the Senate and the House despite unfavorable committee reports. On June 4, 2004, Governor Craig Benson vetoed SB 484, citing concern about irresponsible sexual behavior and the lack of parental notification. A veto override was unsuccessful. Click to view the response (DOC-36K) from Planned Parenthood Northern New England (PPNNE). Groups testifying on behalf of the bill included PPNNE, NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire, the NH Reproductive Health Association, the NH Civil Liberties Union, the Board of Pharmacy, and the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire also crafted sign-on letters for pharmacists and prescribers to show support in the state. Outreach was done to gain the support of the NH Pharmacists Association representing independent pharmacists, as well as the association for chain drugstores. There was also outreach to the NH Medical Society, which has not yet taken a position on the legislation. Jennifer Frizzell, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England appeared in a news radio program debating the pharmacy access bill in June 2004. To listen to the radio interview, click here. PPNNE also ran a radio ad (available at www.ppnne.org) to respond to the Governor’s veto of the EC bill. PPNNE and NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire worked on a number of grassroots activities to support their legislative work. Both groups encouraged their supporters to call their senators in support of SB 484. PPNNE conducted a mailing to activists, sending them postcards to send to their senators. These postcards were placed in health center waiting rooms as well. Information about the legislation was on both organizations' websites. In addition, the group encouraged editorial boards to write positive editorials about the legislation. The Reproductive Health Association planned a major educational push for providers Spring 2004, with a one-day symposium scheduled as well as other training opportunities and resources available. In September 2004, the New Hampshire Pharmacists Association held a one-hour EC training led by Trish Jacobsen, a retired pharmacist and current women’s health advocate. The Association will be publishing a position statement on pharmacist refusal, noting that pharmacists should be able to refuse to provide a service, but that they should refer the patient to another pharmacist who can help. A bill to permit pharmacists to initiate EC, HB 1276, was also introduced in the 2001 session. The bill was reported out of committee and died in 2002. HB 1276 was not reintroduced in the 2003 session because of state elections. Advocates understood from the legislature that it might have passed if it had the support of a broader coalition. The New Hampshire Pharmacists Association had not been brought into design of the legislation and was put in the position of reacting to the bill. Pharmacists expressed interest in a broader collaborative practice act that would have enabled them to offer EC as one of many products. The Pharmacists Association was uncomfortable aligning itself politically with the narrow EC issue, however some individual pharmacists were willing to move forward with collaborative practice for EC alone. After the 2001 legislation was defeated NARAL-NH began a proactive grassroots EC Campaign to build support for EC access. Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) and NARAL-NH attended a five-state summit on pharmacy access to EC. They built bridges with pharmacists and physician groups and involved the newly reconstituted Reproductive Health Association, which has a broad membership of reproductive health professionals. PPNNE and NARAL-NH has identified pharmacists and physician groups interested in working with local legislators to support EC. PPNNE has also educated the press so they will not confuse EC with RU-486. In the summer of 2002, pharmacists were interviewed about EC access and were asked whether they stocked EC and what concerns they had about EC collaborative practice agreements. NARAL-NH wrote follow-up letters thanking the pharmacists. EC is offered in state-funded family planning clinics. One of the performance measures for state clinics is the percentage of women visiting clinics for specific reasons (including pregnancy tests and barrier or hormonal methods of birth control) who receive a prescription for EC. Clinics however, do not disseminate educational materials about EC. For press coverage in this state, click here.
CONTACTSMike Smith, RPh Paul Boisseau, RPh Laura Thibault Lisa MacDonald
USEFUL LINKSNew Hampshire Board of Pharmacy New Hampshire Pharmacists Association New Hampshire General Court New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Planned Parenthood of Northern New England NARAL Pro-Choice New Hampshire
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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