R Sheet on Birth Control Access in North Carolina
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BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, state lawmakers have increasingly looked for innovative ways to improve access to primary care medical services and reduce unintended pregnancies. A popular measure across many states—17 plus Washington, D.C. to date—is allowing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control directly to patients. North Carolina should consider adopting this pharmacy access model for the numerous benefits it brings to citizens.
According to the North Carolina State Office of Rural Health, the state suffers from a “severe” shortage of primary care professionals, and the vast majority of North Carolina counties are designated as health professional shortage areas (HPSA). In 2020, North Carolina ranked 11th for most primary care HPSAs.
Further, survey data from 2016-2017 shows that only 56 percent of pregnancies in North Carolina were intended. This is coupled with the fact that only 27 percent of the postpartum women surveyed in North Carolina were using effective contraceptive methods like birth control pills. The pharmacy access model offers women better access to effective contraception, leading to fewer unintended pregnancies and, in turn, fewer abortions.
Unplanned pregnancies are costly to states and their public health insurance programs. In 2010, unintended pregnancies in North Carolina cost an overall $858 million to taxpayers—almost $215 million of which was shouldered by the state government.
