Birth control can now be over the counter in NJ

Pharmacists must be trained before selling

By: Scott Fallon
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... Pharmacists in New Jersey can begin giving birth control pills, patches, rings and injectable contraceptives without a prescription, marking a major shift in women's health care, state officials announced.
..... But not all pharmacists may be able to do so right away.
..... Under new rules that were adopted by regulators Monday, [05/20/2024] pharmacists must first complete a four-hour training program before they are allowed to give "self-administered hormonal contraceptives" to patients. Health officials were not immediately available to comment on when training is to begin.
..... "Today [05/20/2024] marks an important step forward in our efforts to expand access to reproductive health care as we make birth control more accessible across the state," Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.
..... Birth control pills and other hormonal devices have long required prescription from a doctor or other health care provider. New Jersey joins a growing list of states that have begun to bypass a prescription including New York, which made the change in March. [2024]
..... The change has been a long time coming. Murphy signed legislation in January 2023 to remove the prescription requirement. Then came more than a year of rule-making and other procedural steps by the state Board of Medical Examiners and the Broad of Pharmacy.
..... Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston said the change will expand access to birth control and provide "broader, more equitable access while putting in place the necessary safeguards that protect patients health, safety and privacy."

HOME