Forget State Legislatures. Work with Your Pharmacy Board to Stop Refusals

by Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center

Anti-choice state legislators just won’t give up. In states like Indiana, legislators continue to introduce legislation that would give pharmacists a right to refuse to provide women with contraception in the pharmacy. They do this even though the public is against pharmacist refusals. Yet these legislators see nothing wrong with a woman being denied her validly prescribed contraception – they keep trying to push such bills through state legislatures.

But don’t despair - there’s hope. Many people don’t realize that it is not legislators who are at the forefront of the issue. It’s pharmacists; specifically, state pharmacy boards. In case you’ve never heard of a state pharmacy board, it is an administrative agency in your state that has the power to enforce pharmacy laws and develop pharmacy regulations and policies. State pharmacy boards have a lot of power – pharmacists and pharmacies have to obey them or face discipline. In states across the country, pharmacy boards have stepped up to protect patient access to medication at the pharmacy.

Because pharmacy boards are largely unknown or ignored, we decided to help educate people on how pharmacy boards can be allies in preventing refusals. Partners in Access: Working with State Pharmacy Boards to Stop Refusals in the Pharmacy is a step-by-step toolkit for advocates. It explains what state pharmacy boards are, how to figure out if the board in your state is friendly, and what actions it can take to help protect patient access to medication. Partners in Access is filled with helpful tips, insights, and resources. So check it out. And remember: State pharmacy boards are your friends, not your foes!  Work with them to improve women’s access to contraception in the pharmacy.