2001 SESSION

01-2017

05/09

HOUSE BILL 1276

COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration

ANALYSIS

This bill permits pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception if the pharmacists meet certain criteria established by the board of pharmacy.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

01-2017

05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Findings. The New Hampshire general court recognizes that:

I. Unplanned pregnancies are of tremendous significance. Approximately 50 percent of all pregnancies are unplanned.

II. Estimates show that increased use of emergency contraception could reduce by ½ the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions.

III. Emergency contraceptive pills are the most commonly used method of emergency contraception. The pills are ordinary birth control pills that reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant by 75 to 89 percent when used within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. Emergency contraceptive pills do not cause abortion; rather they inhibit ovulation, fertilization, or implantation before pregnancy occurs.

IV. The US Food and Drug Administration has declared emergency contraceptive pills to be safe and effective in preventing pregnancy.

2 New Paragraph; Pharmacists and Pharmacies; Rulemaking Authority; Dispensation of Emergency Contraception. Amend RSA 318:5-a by inserting after paragraph XI the following new paragraph:

XII. Procedures for the dispensation of emergency contraception under RSA 318:47-d.

3 New Section; Pharmacists and Pharmacies; Regulation of Pharmacies; Dispensation of Emergency Contraception by Pharmacists. Amend RSA 318 by inserting after section 47-c the following new section:

318:47-d Dispensation of Emergency Contraception.

I. For purposes of this section, "emergency contraception" means an elevated dose of birth control pills taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse to help prevent pregnancy.

II. A licensed pharmacist may dispense emergency contraception, pursuant to a protocol established by the board of pharmacy, if the pharmacist:

(a) Enters into a collaborative agreement with a licensed practitioner that meets the requirements established by the board.

(b) Files the agreement with the board.

(c) Completes a training course approved by the board that covers therapeutic information on emergency contraception, patient care and counseling, and packing and labeling.

III. The prescriptive protocol developed by the board shall be included in the collaborative agreement between the pharmacist and practitioner.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.