Two bills (House Bills 5435 and 5436) signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer this week allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control and require insurance companies to cover that contraception.
The Michigan Pharmacists Association says Michigan is experiencing a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists.
Eric Roath is the Director of Government Affairs for the association.
"There's a significant portion of our population that does not have ready access to either a primary care provider or an OB/GYN, and by allowing pharmacists to provide essential services such as prescribing hormonal contraception, we're bridging gaps in care and reaching patients that may otherwise not be able to receive these types of services," he said.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive for the State of Michigan, noted the state also offers a free birth control program called "Take Control of Your Birth Control."
"These are all different complementary ways to really make sure that Michigan residents have the tools they need to make the best decisions regarding their health, their family planning, their reproductive choices," she said.
