Here & Now

New Proposal Would Let Pharmacists Prescribe Birth Control

Frederica Freyberg:

A slate of more than 40 Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have broken with anti-abortion groups by introducing a bill allowing broader access to birth control. In tonight’s look ahead, a bill supported by the legislators including Speaker Robin Vos would allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control pills and hormonal contraceptive patches. Lead sponsor Republican Representative Mary Felzkowski of Irma joins us now by phone. Thanks for doing so.

Mary Felzkowski:

Thank you for having me on.

Frederica Freyberg:

So why do you and others think women should be able to get contraceptives from a pharmacist and not just their doctor?

Mary Felzkowski:

So I think you know, when prescription medication is — it needs like a doctor to prescribe it, there’s certain criteria that goes in there as well around the safety of the drug. Over the years since the birth control bill was first introduced, I mean back in the 60s, it had a high level of hormones and there were side effects to it. But over the years as the science has have come farther, there’s very low — low level of hormones that are involved in it. If I go into my doctor for the first time for birth control, they’re going to take my blood pressure and they’re going to do a health screening. They’re going to look at what other drugs I’m on and then they’re going to recommend whether or not I should be on the birth control pill or oral contraception. Pharmacists are trained to do the same exact thing. They know how drugs interact with each other. They know if somebody has high blood pressure, they might need to have some further exam and stuff on that. So we looked at this and said that the good far outweighs — I mean there’s risk with everything whenever you take a drug but the ability for women to access this and easily access it, far outweighs the challenges that are out there. And keep in mind the plan B or the” morning after” pill has seven times the hormone level that most oral contraceptions have and yet you don’t even have to go through the pharmacist to get it. You can walk in and buy it off the shelf. So it just makes sense to make this available for women a lot easier through the help of a pharmacist.

Frederica Freyberg:

So what are the specific rules around this for a prescribing pharmacist?

Mary Felzkowski:

So it’s not a mandate for pharmacists. This is optional if they want to offer the service. So if I come in there, they would have to do a health screening on me, a questionnaire, and then blood pressure before they would be able to give to me, the prescription.

Frederica Freyberg:

Some conservatives and anti-abortion groups, as you know, oppose broadening contraceptive access including Wisconsin Family Action which says, “Increasing the availability of certain contraceptives will not necessarily reduce unintended pregnancies but it could definitely promote sexual activity among unmarried persons, a situation that is not in the individual’s best interest or the state’s. In addition, some contraceptives prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall, which causes a pre-term chemical abortion killing the unborn human baby. We do not support such contraceptives.” What do you say to that?

Mary Felzkowski:

So we heard testimony, scientific testimony and report, you know, that what the birth control pill does is it thickens the mucus lining on the uterine wall, okay, which prevents a sperm from actually reaching the egg and from contraception to take place. And if this is true, and this was pointed out by one of the scientists that testified. So if what they’re saying is true, we would have more ectopic or tubular pregnancies. So it’s not true. Let me just clarify, I am 100% pro-life. 100%. 100 other developed countries have done this. Other states have done this. And one of the examples that was given is the unplanned pregnancy rate in Denver, Colorado since they have gone to this has dropped by 50%. So in my mind, it gives young women, especially young women in poverty, it gives them more control about planning on when they’re going to have their child. And by allowing that, if we can get kids through high school, let them get their degree, hopefully maybe get some secondary education and out in the workforce before they plan to have their children, we take them out of that lifetime of poverty. Young women under the age of 20 that have children out of wedlock are 75% more likely to live their life in poverty than out of poverty.

Frederica Freyberg:

With just about 30 seconds left, can I ask whether you consider this a break with groups like Pro-life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Family Action?

Mary Felzkowski:

No, I personally don’t. But they do. So everybody’s entitled to their opinion. So no, our caucus is predominantly 100% pro-life and this is supported by our caucus.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. I know that. Thank you very much, Representative Mary Felzkowski of Irma, thanks for joining us.

Mary Felzkowski:

You bet. Have a great weekend.

Frederica Freyberg:

You too.