The Dean and many faculty members of The UConn School of Pharmacy strongly advocated for the recent legislation and the school has begun developing a certification program to align with the new bill requirements.
Students walking outside the School of Pharmacy on November 21, 2019. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
A new Connecticut bill permits pharmacists to prescribe emergency and hormonal contraceptives, aligning Connecticut with 24 other states that have already enacted similar legislation. Advocates of the bill, such as the Center for American Progress, have pointed out that similar initiatives have led to significant reductions in unintended pregnancies, decreased healthcare expenditure, alleviated strain on health systems, and improved overall access to contraceptive healthcare.
Under the provisions of the bill, pharmacists must complete an accredited training and certification program and inform the patient's primary care provider, if applicable, about the prescription. Additionally, they are required to conduct annual patient screenings while dispensing the medication, offering counseling regarding expected effects and when to seek medical attention.
The UConn School of Pharmacy administration participated in advocating for this legislation. Now that the bill has passed the School of Pharmacy Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development has begun developing training and certification programs to meet the requirements of the new bill.
Dr. Philip Hritcko, the dean of the School of Pharmacy, emphasizes that pharmacists are the most accessible primary health care professionals readily available within the health care system: "By granting pharmacists the authority to prescribe hormonal contraception, this important legislation will greatly enhance accessibility, especially in communities of women in underserved and rural areas, that lack adequate primary care providers or health insurance coverage. Overall, the passage of this new bill represents significant strides in dismantling some of the obstacles women encounter when seeking reproductive health care access."
