NACDS reminds members that pharmacists can prescribe self-administered hormonal birth control under delegated authority, including oral contraceptives, the patch, and the ring, by opting into the program. The change happened under an interpretive statement issued by the state’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Department (LARA) under direction of a previous executive directive 2022-05 issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in May of 2021. Pharmacists must enter into a delegation agreement; a sample delegation agreement is available on LARA’s website. The governor’s executive directive in May instructed state departments and agencies to identify and assess opportunities to increase protections for reproductive health care.
Also in Michigan, on October 3, LARA issued a notice that the state will formally begin enforcing Michigan’s 2020 e-prescribing law on January 1, 2023. Though the law was originally to take effect in 2021, it included a provision allowing Bureau of Professional Licensing to delay enforcement until the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) began enforcing the mandate on Part D prescription drug programs. LARA also released an Application for waiver of electronic prescribing requirements form for prescribers and posted an FAQ document. Note that pharmacists are not required to verify that a prescriber qualifies for a waiver when filling paper prescriptions.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.