CVS pharmacists can now evaluate patients and
prescribe hormonal contraceptives
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 12,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) today
announced that CVS Pharmacy® locations in Massachusetts are now offering hormonal
contraceptive prescribing services. Patients interested in
receiving a birth control prescription can be evaluated by a CVS
pharmacist and, if clinically eligible, receive a prescription for
birth control.
Millions of women in the United
States live in contraceptive deserts1 — areas
with insufficient access to birth control methods — and one in
three women say they have trouble getting prescriptions for birth
control.2 The new birth control prescribing service at
CVS Pharmacy will help to close this gap and provide Massachusetts patients with convenient and
affordable access to care when and where they need it.
"Pharmacists are trusted and accessible health care providers
who do much more than fill prescriptions," said Jinali Desai,
PharmD, MBA, MPH, Vice President, Pharmacy Health Services for CVS
Health. "They have years of education and experience, and have the
clinical ability to provide chronic, acute and preventive services
for their patients. We're pleased to introduce this new service in
Massachusetts to help increase
access to birth control and further support women's unique health
care needs."
Hormonal contraceptive prescribing was authorized as part of the
Massachusetts 2024 State Budget,
which was signed in August 2023 and
was co-sponsored by State Senator Michael
Moore and State Representatives Christine Barber and Lindsay Sabadosa.
"Hormonal birth control is one of the safest and most effective
ways to prevent unplanned pregnancy and support family planning,
but many women find this critical medication difficult to obtain
here in Massachusetts" said
Senator Michael Moore of
Millbury. "Allowing local
pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraceptives when appropriate
is something 27 states and D.C. already allow in some form – it's
about time the Commonwealth joins them. I am so grateful to my
colleagues in the Legislature for getting this provision signed
into law, for our partners at pharmacies across Massachusetts, and the countless organizations
and advocates that have tirelessly worked to bring awareness to
this issue. We are taking a big step toward lowering barriers that
prevent women from getting the birth control they need and
addressing disparities in contraceptive access for those in
historically underserved areas."
"Enabling pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control is an
important step to address disparities in access to basic, necessary
reproductive health care. I am proud that the legislature passed
this important law to continue the Commonwealth's commitment to
health equity and reproductive justice," said Representative
Christine Barber of Somerville.
"Patients deserve real access to reproductive health care, and
the provision of birth control by pharmacists will allow patients
to quickly consult with their pharmacists and get a birth control
prescription that same day. With the addition of
pharmacist-prescribed contraception in Massachusetts, we are putting choice back in
the patients' hands and giving them options in how, where, and when
they get their contraception" said Representative Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton.
Birth control prescribing at CVS Pharmacy: How it
works
Patients interested in birth control can visit any Massachusetts
CVS Pharmacy location and ask for a birth control consultation with
a pharmacist. The pharmacist will ask the patient to complete a
short health screening form and check their blood pressure. Next,
the pharmacist will discuss the results of the health screening
with the patient and determine if the patient is eligible to
receive birth control at the pharmacy. If so, the pharmacist will
review different birth control options available and determine an
appropriate therapy for the patient.
In Massachusetts, patients who
are 18 and older are eligible for a consultation with a CVS
pharmacist, but only certain patients will be eligible to receive a
prescription. Pharmacists can prescribe different types of hormonal
contraception depending on a patient's health screening evaluation
and lifestyle, such as the pill and the transdermal patch. The
consultation will cost $39,
regardless of whether medication is prescribed. Patients may use
HSA or FSA funds to cover the assessment fee. Any cost or copay for
the birth control is dependent on the patient's prescription
insurance coverage. The pharmacist will also encourage the patient
to visit their physician for future preventive care visits and can
provide area providers for patients who do not have one.
All the nearly 400 CVS Pharmacy locations in Massachusetts are offering birth control
prescribing. The service is also offered at CVS Pharmacy locations
in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, South
Dakota, Washington, and
Wisconsin. For more information,
visit CVS.com.
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is the leading health
solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach
more people and improve the health of communities across America
through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000
dedicated colleagues — including more than 40,000 physicians,
pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever
people need us, we help them with their health — whether that's
managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications
or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most
convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system —
and their personal health care — by improving access, lowering
costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of
health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow
@CVSHealth on social media.
Media contact
Amy
Thibault
401-318-2865
Amy.Thibault@CVSHealth.com
1 Power to Decide, "Contraceptive
Deserts." https://powertodecide.org/what-we-do/access/contraceptive-deserts.
2 Guttmacher Institute, "Early impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from the 2020 Guttmacher Survey of
Reproductive Health
Experiences." https://www.guttmacher.org/report/early-impacts-covid-19-pandemic-findings-2020-guttmacher-survey-reproductive-health
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SOURCE CVS Health