Pharmacy birth control shots would make essential care accessible

To the editor,

Allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer the birth control shot would expand access for many New Yorkers like me by increasing the range of contraceptive options available. Yet despite its potential to improve care, legislation authorizing contraceptive injections in pharmacies has stalled for nearly a decade.

Pharmacists are already authorized to administer immunizations, making it easier and more convenient for patients to receive essential care. For many people, a local pharmacy is far more accessible than a doctor’s office or clinic that can prescribe birth control.  By providing the birth control shot at pharmacies it would help remove unnecessary barriers to reproductive healthcare and ensure more New Yorkers can access the method that works best for them.

Increasing access to contraception through pharmacies would also promote greater health equity by making reproductive healthcare more convenient, affordable, and accessible across communities.

SHRUTHI SURESH

NY Birth Control Action Fund