Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6038 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 6038
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7	7	LC002338
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS -- PHARMACIES
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives Ajello, McGaw, Alzate, Speakman, Boylan, Donovan,
17	17	Cotter, Carson, Tanzi, and Felix
18	18	Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
19	19	Referred To: House Health & Human Services
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 5-19.1-36 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-19.1 entitled 1
24	24	"Pharmacies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	5-19.1-36. Pharmacists — Contraceptives — Prescribing. 3
26	26	(a) In accordance with this chapter and adopted by the state board of pharmacy, a 4
27	27	pharmacist may prescribe and dispense all short-term, FDA-approved hormonal contraceptives. 5
28	28	(b) The state board of pharmacy shall adopt rules to establish, in consultation with the 6
29	29	Rhode Island medical board, the Rhode Island state board of nursing, and the Rhode Island 7
30	30	department of health, and in consideration of guidelines established by the American College of 8
31	31	Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 9
32	32	(c) A pharmacist shall be required to: 10
33	33	(1) Complete educational training approved by the state board of pharmacy that is related 11
34	34	to prescribing hormonal contraceptives. This training shall include training on counseling on all 12
35	35	methods of FDA-approved contraceptives, including those the pharmacist is not able to prescribe; 13
36	36	(2) Provide a self-screening risk assessment tool, based on the current version of the U.S. 14
37	37	Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use developed by the federal Centers for Disease 15
38	38	Control and Prevention, that the patient must complete prior to the pharmacist’s prescribing the 16
39	39	hormonal contraceptive; 17
40	40	(3) Provide the patient with a written record of the hormonal contraceptive prescribed and 18
41	41	dispensed and advise the patient to consult with a primary care practitioner or women’s healthcare 19
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44	44	LC002338 - Page 2 of 3
45	45	practitioner; 1
46	46	(4) Notify the patient’s primary care provider that the pharmacist prescribed and/or 2
47	47	dispensed a short-term, FDA-approved hormonal contraceptive. If the patient does not have a 3
48	48	primary care provider, or refuses consent to notify the patient’s primary care provider, the 4
49	49	pharmacist shall provide the patient a list of physicians, clinics, or other healthcare providers to 5
50	50	contact regarding follow-up care; and 6
51	51	(5) Dispense the contraceptives to the patient as soon as practicable after the pharmacist 7
52	52	issues the prescription. 8
53	53	(d) All state and federal laws governing insurance coverage of contraceptive drugs, 9
54	54	devices, products, and services shall apply to contraceptives prescribed by a pharmacist under this 10
55	55	section; provided, however, an initial prescription issued pursuant to the provisions of this section 11
56	56	shall be limited to up to a three-month (3) supply. 12
57	57	(e) Any individual health plan or group health plan and any health coverage through any 13
58	58	commercial health plan shall cover hormonal contraceptives that are prescribed and dispensed by 14
59	59	a pharmacist, including contraceptive counseling, if those contraceptives would otherwise be 15
60	60	covered if prescribed by another type of healthcare provider. 16
61	61	(f) The Rhode Island state board of pharmacy should track and report on accessibility and 17
62	62	use, including the number and geographic locations of participating pharmacy stores; and number 18
63	63	of pharmacists that are eligible to prescribe. 19
64	64	(g) Pharmacies should display signs in stores and on websites indicating on-site, behind-20
65	65	the-counter availability of contraceptives. 21
66	66	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 22
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68	68	LC002338
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73	73	EXPLANATION
74	74	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
75	75	OF
76	76	A N A C T
77	77	RELATING TO BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS -- PHARMACIES
78	78	***
79	79	This act would amend the current law so that initial contraceptive prescriptions would no 1
80	80	longer be limited to a three-month supply. The act would also provide that the state board of 2
81	81	pharmacy adopt rules only in consultation with Rhode Island department of health, and no longer 3
82	82	in consultation with the Rhode Island medical board and the Rhode Island state board of nursing. 4
83	83	This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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85	85	LC002338
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