Welcome to the 21st Century

The Wisconsin State Assembly passed a measure recently, with
bi-partisan support 82-13, that would allow pharmacists to
prescribe hormonal birth control to women over the age of 18,
both in pill and patch form.  The Bill still has to go to the Senate
for approval and then on to the Governor for his signature.  It
is being opposed by right-to-life activist who say it will lead
to an increase in extra-marital sexual activity and an increase
in unwanted pregnancies and more abortions.  DUH! I may be
dense, but how will using effective birth control lead to
unwanted pregnancy and more abortions?  We will leave that
objection for the time being.

If the birth control bill passes, and becomes law, Wisconsin will
join ten other states and the District of Columbia that have
already enacted similar legislation.

Five years ago, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
issued a policy statement saying it is time to make hormonal oral
birth control an over the counter drug.  The American Association
of Family Physicians support the measure also, saying it would
greatly reduce unintended pregnancies.  However, only the FDA
can change the status of a drug from prescription to over the
counter, and as of yet no manufacturer has petitioned the FDA
to do that.  Even if a manufacturer did request a change in status,
it would be years before the FDA could conclude the testing
required to move hormonal contraceptives from prescription to
over the counter status.

One other concern is selling the pill to persons under the age of
18.  Right now the pill may be prescribed to those under 18 but
no states allow for purchase of the pill without a doctor's orders.
Researchers say there is no evidence that teens are at risk from
using the pill, in fact the reverse is true, teens do not have the
increased risk of blood clots that some adults do.  And studies
have shown there is no increase in sexual activity, in fact, teen
pregnancy rates are down in the United States by 36% from
2007-2013, and the abortion rate has fallen also.

The hormonal birth control method has been around for nearly
sixty years, it was first approved for use in June of 1960, but
didn't begin to be used as a contraceptive until July of 1961.
At that time, it could only be prescribed to married women for
birth control, and it was not until 1972 that doctors were allowed
to prescribe it to unmarried women for use as a contraceptive.
Though many doctors were prescribing it off label use for acne
and to regulate a woman's cycle.

The pill was the first form of birth control that did not interfere
with the spontaneity and sensation of sexual intercourse. It
allowed women to take control of when and how many children
she wished to have.  It was a key player in expanding women's
economic role.  After the pill was introduced, there was a sharp
rise in college attendance and graduation rates for women.  There
was no longer the fear of unplanned pregnancy interrupting a
woman's life, and employers were more inclined to invest in a
woman's future in their corporate structures.

Today the pill is used by 100 million women world-wide and
12 million women in the United States, and if used correctly,
it is 0.3% effective in preventing pregnancy.  For most of the
world, the pill does not require a doctor's prescription, and in
many countries it is free or at very low cost.  The biggest obstacle
in the United States is the cost.  Since the Affordable Care Act,
insurance companies must cover the cost of birth control pills,
and Medicaid also covers their cost.  But, and this is a big but,
insurance and Medicaid will not cover over the cost of the pill
if it were over the counter.

It is unclear whether that means the pill has to be prescribed by a
physician or if insurance will still pay for the pill if you can get it
through the pharmacy.  Regardless, those states that have opted to
by-pass the doctors prescription for a pharmacist direct filling of
the script, have not seen a big increase in pharmacy participation.
The service is not mandatory in most states and in California
only 11%  of retail pharmacies are offering the service.  The
requirements for such a service vary from state to state, but all
states require some training of the pharmacist, forms to be filled
out and filed and blood pressure must be monitored.  The initial
consultation cost may vary also, but range from $25-$50 and it
is not covered by insurance, however Oregon is the only state that
requires Medicaid to pay for the consultation.

So as usual it is the ones who need the help the most who will be
priced out of receiving it.  A family with more children than they
can afford, is priced out of the one thing that could help them
prevent another pregnancy.  Fifty dollars would go a long way
to feed the brood around the table.  We know that the hormonal
birth control method is safe and effective, now we must make
it affordable and easy to access for all women.

I'm just sayin'.
control