According to a governor’s order made public on Thursday, adults in Arizona can now buy contraceptives over the counter at a pharmacy without a prescription. SB1082 will take effect right now, according to Governor Katie Hobbs. Patients must be 18 years of age or older, and only a screening and blood pressure check are required. It applies to self-administered birth control, such as hormonal and oral contraceptives.
The Democrat governor said in a statement, “We are building an Arizona for everyone, which means ensuring people across the state have what they need to live a free and healthy life.”
Although Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a then-Republican senator from Arizona, authored SB1082, which was later put into law by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, Hobbs is praising the increased access while the standing order has existed since 2021. Ugenti-Rita, at the time, told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that the change “eliminates some of the barriers to a very popular, safe, and effective medication.”
Mousoud Aliani, a pharmacist at the Show Low Wallgreens, said,” I’m not aware of the over-the-counter contraceptives. It will take a while to become available, and there are so many products available it will take a lot of work for consumers to decide what they need.
According to a statement from the Arizona Department of Health Services, over 20 states have laws that permit pharmacists to dispense FDA-approved Patients above the age of 18 only need to undergo a screening and blood pressure check for self-administered birth control such as hormonal and oral contraceptives.
Molly K Ottman Executive Editor/Journalist for Mountain Daily Star
Pic Courtesy: Laurie Roberts, Arizona Republic