黑料吃瓜网 lawmakers on Monday took up a proposed bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control, instead of requiring a trip to the doctor.
State Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich, helped file the bill.
The legislation, which has bipartisan support, is designed to give women more options, Fazio told colleagues on the Public Health Committee. Pharmacists in several other states can already prescribe birth control pills, he said.
鈥淲e want to improve access for women for something that has been widely used and normal for over 60 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e also wanted to look towards what works in other states and what鈥檚 tried and true and proven.鈥�
Gov. Ned Lamont has expressed support for similar legislation.
There are many obstacles that can put contraception out of reach for people in 黑料吃瓜网, said Nathan Tinker, CEO of the 黑料吃瓜网 Pharmacists Association, which supports the proposed bill.
鈥淕iving women the freedom to decide not only whether to seek contraception, but where to do so, is one further step in realizing the vision of accessible and equitable health care,鈥� Tinker said.
There were several people who submitted testimony opposing the proposed legislation.
Contraception is already readily available in established women鈥檚 health practices, said Dr. Anthony Yoder, co-chair of the Health and Public Policy Committee for the 黑料吃瓜网 chapter of the American College of Physicians.
鈥淲e are concerned that this bypasses many safeguards in place in a primary care office or by a practitioner with access to the full scope of a patient鈥檚 medical history,鈥� Yoder said. 鈥淓xpanded roles for pharmacists should be based on what is in the patient鈥檚 best interest, and giving prescriptive authority without scope review poses several regulatory issues as well as safety ... concerns.鈥�
At least 20 states have laws or standing orders that allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control, . In 2013, California was the first state to pass such a bill, the organization said.
鈥淧harmacists are an underutilized and essential resource for so many Americans, especially for people who live far from other healthcare providers or have limited access for other reasons,鈥� Tom Kraus, ASHP鈥檚 vice president of government relations, said in a statement.