People across Massachusetts who want to get a birth control prescription now have about 400 more places to seek one.
CVS pharmacies in the Bay State are now offering on-site hormonal birth control consultations with pharmacists, and eligible people can walk out with a filled prescription the same day.
“It’s a one-stop-shop experience,” said Alexandra McDonald, CVS Pharmacy district leader for Boston.
This is the first time Massachusetts CVS Health Corp. will offer this service as a way to address so-called “contraceptive deserts.”
“Millions of women in the U.S. live in areas where there’s insufficient access to birth control,” McDonald said. Patients visiting Massachusetts from other states will also be able to get a prescription from pharmacists.
Providence-based CVS offers the service already in 10 states. Would-be patients 18 and older can walk into any CVS in Massachusetts, ask to speak to a pharmacist, and following a health screening and blood pressure check, if not precluded by health conditions, will be able to have a prescription written by the pharmacists.
“This really allows our pharmacists to work at the top of their license,” McDonald said.
Hormonal contraceptive prescribing by pharmacists was authorized as part of the Massachusetts 2024 state budget.
“Enabling pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control is an important step to address disparities in access to basic, necessary reproductive health care,” said Rep. Christine Barber of Somerville, a co-sponsor of the bill that allowed the legislative change. “I am proud that the legislature passed this important law to continue the commonwealth’s commitment to health equity and reproductive justice.”
The consultation will cost $39, and the cost of the prescription will vary depending on insurance. Options for type of birth control include the pill and a transdermal patch. Pharmacists will recommend individuals receive follow-up care from their primary care physicians, a CVS spokesperson said.
This story appeared in the Boston Business Journal on Sept. 12, 2024.
