Bill making it easier to access birth control heads to full SC Senate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - A GOP-sponsored bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe a woman a contraceptive without a patient-specific prescription has passed a state Senate committee.

Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, sponsored the bill after he began having concerns that lack of regular access to healthcare professionals was hurting rural community’s access to contraceptives.

If the bill was passed, pharmacists would be able to distribute self-administered and pharmacist-administered contraceptives if they follow a set of protocols established by the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Medical Examiners.

Sen. Richard Cash, R-Anderson, expressed concern in the committee that this bill may harm women and the process of distributing contraceptives would be routine and not informative for the patient.

“It would not be something that is perfunctory that you simply call and check the box,” Davis said.

Davis said 13 states have a similar legislation on the books.