Emergency Contraception

PHARMACY ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION (EC)

Vermont explicitly allows pharmacists to provide emergency contraception (EC) directly to women without a prescription.  A pharmacist may dispense EC under a collaborative agreement with a physician or other authorized prescriber.  The agreement must be consistent with the standard protocol and procedures developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the Board of Pharmacy, and include an informed consent form, information for the EC recipient and pharmacist, and necessary forms.

A pharmacist must provide all EC recipients with a standardized fact sheet that includes the indications for use of EC, the appropriate method for using EC, information on the importance of follow-up health care, health care referral information, information on sexual assault, information on the risks of unprotected sexual intercourse, referral to appropriate agencies, and other appropriate information.

All pharmacists dispensing EC must first complete an education and training program delivered by an entity authorized by a national council on pharmaceutical education or another training program approved by the Board of Pharmacy.

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 26, §§ 2077 to 2079 (Enacted 2006).