Starting Thursday, patients seeking hormonal birth control can go straight to the pharmacy without a prescription.
A standing order from the Arizona Department of Health Services authorizes licensed pharmacists to provide the contraceptives.
That’s after giving patients a questionnaire on health habits and conditions for risk assessment.
The law was passed in 2021, but it has taken until now for the State Board of Pharmacy to craft the rules and move them through the regulatory process.
Former state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a Republican, sponsored the bill.
"It blows my mind and it's sad that we still struggle with the concept of women being in charge of their own health care," Ugenti-Rita said.
Pharmacists may refuse to administer birth control if they believe it will cause health problems or is against their religious beliefs.
