How to Find a Pharmacy Where You Can Prescribe Contraception
Pharmacists can prescribe contraception in eight states and Washington, D.C., which means you can walk into a pharmacy without a prescription and walk away, often with pills, for an entire year. You can also give a patch, injection, and vaginal ring.
These are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. This is not the same as over-the-counter medicines. According to current regulations, you still need a prescription from whoever examined you (and in particular checked your blood pressure, since contraception can be dangerous for people with high blood pressure).
So you will need to consult a pharmacist, which often requires payment – pharmacist Sally Rafi says she has heard of consultations that cost anywhere from $ zero to $ 50. Your health insurance must cover the prescription itself, and insurance is required to cover a one-year prescription in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington.
Not all pharmacies are able to prescribe contraception, even if you are in states where it is allowed by law, which is why Rafi and some of his fellow pharmacists have created a contraceptive pharmacy map . This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes 250 pharmacies in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington state.
If you do not live in these states, you can still get a prescription for contraception without going to your doctor. Several online services will put you in touch with your doctor (via video call or often just filling out a form) and can send you a prescription by mail.