Today is not only the start to a new month, but it’s also the day that a new law goes into affect in North Carolina regarding birth control access.
Governor Roy Cooper signed the House Bill 96 back into law in August of 2022. There are many sections to the bill, but the one that affects today includes new opportunities for those in need of birth control. According to WCNC, Section 1 of the bill allows qualified pharmacists to provide, “self-administered oral or transdermal contraceptives after the patient completes an assessment consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s United States Medical Eligibility Criteria (US MEC) for Contraceptive Use.”
This means, that you will not specifically have to see a doctor to obtain a birth control prescription. Also included in the bill, qualified pharmacists will be allowed to prescribe prenatal vitamins, HIV medications, and nicotine replacement therapy.
Personally, I think making access to these medications easier is a huge win. Especially after the pandemic has backed up doctors offices by weeks, and months, knowing that I will not have to wait on an appointment to see my doctor to rely on birth control is very comforting.
If you’d like to read all the details in House Bill 96, CLICK HERE.
Just In: Birth control pills available now without a prescription in NC https://t.co/do8Hog2C8b
— WRAL NEWS in NC (@WRAL) February 1, 2022
