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Panel approves cleanup to pharmacy contraceptive law, clarifying joint protocol authority and excluding IUDs
Summary
The Medical Affairs Subcommittee reported S.477 favorably to clarify that pharmacists may dispense or administer self‑administered hormonal contraceptives under a written joint protocol without a standing order and to explicitly exclude intrauterine devices from the definition of self‑administered hormonal contraceptives.
The Medical Affairs Subcommittee reported S.477 favorably after staff and witnesses described the bill as a technical clarification to the state's pharmacy contraceptive access law.
Committee staff read communications from LLR explaining that the prior act's language had been interpreted by the State Board of Medical Examiners to require a standing order, which supporters said was not the original intent. S.477 clarifies that pharmacists may dispense or administer self‑administered hormonal contraceptives pursuant to a written joint protocol developed by the Board of Pharmacy and the State Board of Medical Examiners, and it expressly excludes intrauterine devices (IUDs) from the definition of self‑administered hormonal contraceptives.
"This is a simple fix that allows the original intent and ensures patients have access they need without unnecessary delays," Bridal Clark of the South Carolina Pharmacy Association testified, comparing the proposed joint protocol to existing joint protocols used for immunizations. Committee members asked whether excluding IUDs would prohibit pharmacists from dispensing them under any circumstances; staff and members said the change clarifies that IUDs are not within the scope of the pharmacist authorization created by the statute and that IUDs will continue to require prescription or clinician placement as appropriate.
Witnesses emphasized that the original 2022 pharmacy access law intended pharmacists to dispense certain hormonal contraceptives without a physician prescription under a joint protocol, but that implementation was hindered by differing interpretations that effectively required standing orders. The bill would also update terminology in the statute (for example, replacing references to "prescribed" with "dispensed") and requires the Board of Pharmacy and the State Board of Medical Examiners to establish the written joint protocol.
Supporters said the bill would remove barriers that have limited timely access to hormonal contraceptives for adults and minors previously prescribed the products. The committee moved and seconded a favorable report; members voted by voice to report S.477 out favorably.
