CVS Pharmacies to Offer Birth Control Prescribing Services in Massachusetts

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CVS Pharmacy announced that its locations in Massachusetts will start offering prescribing services for contraceptive medications.¹ CVS pharmacists in the state will be able to provide evaluations and offer prescriptions for birth control. According to a press release from the company, this move is a response to data that shows that many women in the United States live in areas where they don’t have access to safe and effective birth control methods. Due to CVS’s nationwide presence, the addition of these services to its pharmacies will help provide better coverage in these areas.

In a press release, vice president of pharmacy health services for CVS Health Jinali Desai, PharmD, MBA, MPH, said, “Pharmacists are trusted and accessible health care providers who do much more than fill prescriptions. 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."

CVS also issued a statement from Millbury Senator Michael Moore, who said, “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. 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."

In the same press release, Somerville representative Christine Barber added, “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.”

Northampton representative Lindsay Sabadosa also said, “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.”

Source

1. CVS Pharmacy Launches Birth Control Prescribing in Massachusetts. CVS Health. September 12, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cvs-pharmacy-launches-birth-control-prescribing-in-massachusetts-302245612.html