NJTV News' Briana Vannozzi reports on New Jersey legislation (S 1073, S 2060) that would allow pharmacists to dispense oral contraception to a woman without a doctor's prescription. Under the bill, pharmacists would have to complete a training program developed by New Jersey's Board of Pharmacy before dispensing oral contraception. A woman seeking contraception without a doctor's prescription would have to fill out a screening assessment, which the pharmacist would use to determine whether to approve the request for contraception.
Clark Boyd, a pharmacist and owner of Boyd's Pharmacy, praised the bill, saying, "Pharmacists are graduating with a doctor of pharmacy degree; they are well-qualified. Their clinical background is right up to snuff."
Similarly, state Sen. Shirley Turner (D), a co-sponsor of the legislation, said, "This is one way to eliminate an additional financial burden on women, and also, more importantly, to provide them with easier access to contraception."
Charletta Ayers, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, said the bill "is a good start of moving toward" the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology's recommendation "that women and teens be able to obtain oral contraceptives over the counter, even without the pharmacist" (Vannozzi, NJTV News, 5/3).
