LANSING, Mcih. — Pharmacists can now partner with doctors to prescribe hormonal birth control, according to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office.
Whitmer announced the measure from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Monday evening, saying it opens doors for women looking to have more control over their reproductive planning.
It's a direct result of Whitmer's executive directive in May that instructed state employees to find opportunities to increase protections for reproductive health care.
“Today’s action clarifies that Michigan pharmacists with delegated authority can prescribe self-administered hormonal birth control—oral contraceptives, the patch, and the ring—expanding access to birth control for women across Michigan and ensuring that they can plan their own future on their own terms,” Governor Whitmer said in the release.
This comes just months after the FDA authorized pharmacists to prescribe the Pfizer COVID-19 pill, saying access to time-sensitive medication can improve its effectiveness.
LARA says pharmacists are qualified to prescribe these medications because their training requires them to understand its complexities, including side-effects and interactions with other drugs the patient is already taking.
The program is voluntary and does not require a pharmacist to prescribe contraception if they object to it.
