As early as this fall, California women who have long had to schedule a doctor’s appointment for a birth control prescription will be able to go straight to the pharmacy for the contraception. A state law, passed in 2013 with plans to be implemented in October, gives licensed pharmacists authorization to prescribe self-administered hormonal contraceptives, without the need for a patient to see a physician. California’s law, SB 493, also allows pharmacists to prescribe nicotine replacement products and travel medication, and gives pharmacists status as health care providers. Reproductive health advocates such as the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California see the new law as a way to expand access to birth control. Before prescribing birth control, pharmacists would be required to take the patient’s blood pressure to ensure the medication is safe, counsel the patient on using the medication and provide informational materials. If the regulations pass as planned, pharmacists can start writing prescriptions for hormonal contraception as early as Oct. 1. (The Sacramento Bee)