The changes include hormonal birth control women can administer to themselves at home, such as birth control pills, patches or vaginal rings. This change will make it easier for women to access instead of having to wait to get into a health provider, as well as freeing up additional appointments for other patients.

Intermountain Health is taking advantage of the new law — House Bill 178, passed in 2021 — and has created a program that combines mailed prescription pharmacy services and telehealth to better access these basic forms of hormonal birth control.

“Pharmacists complete six years of education and have a wealth of specialized knowledge about medication and its various uses, management and dosing, as well as how medications can interact with each other,” said Dr. Sean Esplin, senior medical director for women’s health at Intermountain Health. “Routine birth control prescriptions and refills for women who are at low risk of complications can be handled by pharmacists.”

Esplin said pharmacists are well qualified and underutilized.

“In general, regular check-ups with a women’s health provider are recommended and with pharmacist prescribed birth control, proof of a check-up is required every two years,” he said.

A virtual visit with an Intermountain pharmacist is $20. The patient will fill out an online form about their medical history before the telehealth visit. Once the medicine is approved, it can be shipped directly to the patients.

“Our biggest goal is to improve health care access for patients at a lower cost and this program does both,” said Carrie Sunford, chief pharmacy officer for Intermountain Health. “This will make care more convenient for our patients and ensure women anywhere in the state have timely access.”

For more information, go to https://bit.ly/44wNDQE.