Lansing, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced that pharmacists in Michigan are now able to prescribe hormonal birth control in partnership with doctors.
This action comes from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) and will offer women easier access to birth control.
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This expansion of access to birth control is a result of Whitmer’s executive directive in May. This directive “instructs state departments and agencies to identify and assess opportunities to increase protections for reproductive health care in anticipation of Roe v. Wade being overturned.”
Whitmer stated:
Under a statement issued by LARA, licensed physicians may now delegate to pharmacists the ability to prescribe self-administered hormonal birth control.
Because of a pharmacist’s education, they are qualified to prescribe oral contraceptives, the patch, and the ring. Their training includes a detailed understanding of the contents, the impacts, and the effects of the drugs on the human body.
“This expansion allows for broader access to certain forms of birth control,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive of the State of Michigan. “Nearly 30% of U.S. women of childbearing age have reported difficulty obtaining or refilling birth control prescriptions. Expanded access to hormonal contraceptives provides flexibility for women to manage their reproductive health outside their regularly scheduled health care appointments.”
This action is optional and does not require pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception if they do not want to.