State pharmacy boards are your friends, not your foes!
Work with them to ensure patient access to contraception in the pharmacy
Click here for information and materials from our February webinar on access to contraceptives.
State advocates can play a key role in stopping refusals in the pharmacy by working with state pharmacy boards. Pharmacy boards are state administrative agencies that have the power to enforce pharmacy laws, develop pharmacy regulations and policies, and discipline pharmacists and pharmacies. They wield enormous power and are usually easier to approach and quicker to act than legislatures. Pharmacy boards have taken the lead across the country in ensuring patient access to medication at the pharmacy.
The National Women's Law Center has developed a toolkit for advocates to work with state pharmacy boards. The toolkit, Partners in Access: Working with State Pharmacy Boards to Stop Refusals in the Pharmacy, is a step-by-step guide. It includes the following sections:
-
Introduction: Learn why working with state pharmacy boards is one of the best ways to address the growing problem of refusals in the pharmacy and how this toolkit can help you in doing so.
-
Section 1: Assessing Whether Your State Pharmacy Board is Likely to Take a Position on the Issue of Refusals in the Pharmacy - Before approaching the pharmacy board, "get to know" the board members, staff, and board positions.
-
Section 2: What to Do if You Have a Non-Receptive Board - If your research shows that the board is not receptive to developing affirmative policies to protect patient access, you still have options.
-
Section 3: Actions You Can Encourage Your Pharmacy Board to Take - Your board has many options to ensure women are not denied access to contraception at the pharmacy.
-
Section 4: Methods and Tips for Approaching Your Board - Prepare before approaching your board by building coalitions, gathering evidence, developing your arguments, and creating a media strategy.
-
Section 5: What to Do After You Have a Law, Rule, or Policy on Refusals in the Pharmacy - Even if you succeed in persuading your board to adopt a rule or policy on refusals, your work is not over.
-
Section 6: Other Things You Can Ask Your Board to Do - If your board will not address refusals, there are other tacks you can pursue that may be less controversial but still beneficial to consumer access.
-
Appendix A provides a list of states that have taken a position on pharmacist refusals, with details on the position and how it was passed, whether by the pharmacy board or state legislature.
-
Appendix B explains the elements of a model "duty to dispense" rule or policy.
-
Appendix C is a sample complaint to the pharmacy board in the event of a refusal.
-
Appendix D is a list and description of resources.
The National Women's Law Center is available to help advocates in implementing the toolkit. If you would like assistance in working with your state pharmacy board to guarantee access to medication in the pharmacy, contact us at info@nwlc.org or (202) 588-5180.