CVS Pharmacy now prescribing birth control in Massachusetts
CVS Health shared that CVS Pharmacy locations in Massachusetts are offering hormonal contraceptive prescribing services. A CVS pharmacist can evaluate patients interested in receiving a birth control prescription and, if clinically eligible, receive a prescription for birth control.
The company noted that millions of women in the United States live in contraceptive deserts — areas with insufficient access to birth control methods — and one in three women say they have trouble getting prescriptions for birth control. 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.
All the nearly 400 CVS Pharmacy locations in Massachusetts are offering birth control prescribing. The service also is offered at CVS Pharmacy locations in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin.
"Pharmacists are trusted and accessible health care providers who do much more than fill prescriptions," said Jinali Desai, vice president of 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 healthcare needs."
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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 Sen. Michael Moore and State Reps. 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 Sen. 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 Rep. 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 Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton.
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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 also will encourage the patient to visit their physician for future preventive care visits and can provide area providers for patients who do not have one.