Ore. House passes Buehler bill to expand birth control access

The Oregon House voted 50-10 Tuesday to allow women to purchase birth control without a doctor’s visit, a proposal introduced by Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend.

Buehler, an orthopedic surgeon, introduced the measure earlier this session and led the bipartisan work group assigned to the concept.

“Oregon has the opportunity to be the first in the nation to remove one of the most substantial barriers to contraceptive access for women – a doctor’s prescription,” Buehler said.

“I am proud to be presenting this landmark legislation, which will be one of the most significant improvements to women’s health of our generation,” he added.

The legislation (HB 2879) would allow birth control to be sold behind the counter at local pharmacies without a physician visit and prescription.

The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Board of Pharmacists would be responsible for structuring rules to ensure safe prescribing by pharmacists – including brief training for pharmacists, a self-screening test for contraindications, and notifying the customer’s primary care provider.

The contraceptives would still be covered by insurance, which is important to lower costs for consumers.

“Under this legislation, single moms who are working multiple jobs, college students who work the night shift, and every other woman who needs contraceptives can drive to their local Walgreens and purchase birth control without any previous visit or prescription,” Buehler said.

Over the past several weeks, support for HB 2879 has been growing rapidly, according to Buehler.

In particular, most of the medical community has endorsed the concept – including every physician in the Legislature, the Oregon Medical Association, OHSU, the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians and the Oregon Nurses Association.

“It makes no sense that men should have unrestricted access to contraceptives, while women must first get a prescription from their physician,” Buehler said.

“As a doctor, I believe birth control should be as easy and accessible as possible. If a woman wants to purchase birth control at her local pharmacy, she should be able to do that without having to schedule an appointment with a doctor,” he added

HB 2879 now goes go to the Senate for approval. If passed, Oregon would be the second state in the nation to pass such legislation, along with California.

Since California has yet to develop their administrative rules around the change, Oregon could become the first in the country to implement this historic expansion of access, Buehler said.

Meanwhile, the Oregon Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed House Bill 3343, which guarantees access for women to a full 12-month supply of contraception at one time.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon praised it as a landmark bill to expand birth control access.

It said dispensing a one-year supply of birth control is associated with a 30 percent reduction in the odds of conceiving an unplanned pregnancy, compared with dispensing for 30 or 90 days.

The bill passed the House of Representatives last month with a 55-2 bipartisan vote. This will make Oregon the first state in the nation to require health insurance companies to give a year’s supply of the pill, the patch or the ring at the same time.