Senate Committee Approves Prescription Access Measure

The Senate Health Committee on Wednesday approved a bill (SB 644) that would require pharmacists who refuse to dispense medication -- including emergency contraception -- on ethical, moral or religious grounds to refer consumers to another pharmacy to fill the prescription, the Los Angeles Times reports (Rau, Los Angeles Times, 4/28).

The bill would apply only to pharmacies that carry EC. Pharmacies are not required to stock EC. In addition to pharmacists, the bill would apply to other licensed health care professionals. The bill also would create a protocol for pharmacists to offer alternatives to patients (California Healthline, 4/19).