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<section article="gho" article_name="Health Occupations" number="12-511" title_number="12" title_name="Pharmacists and Pharmacies" subtitle_number="5" subtitle_name="Practice of Pharmacy and Operation of Pharmacies">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In this section, “contraceptives” means contraceptive medications and self–administered contraceptive devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>A pharmacist who meets the requirements of the regulations adopted under this section may prescribe and dispense contraceptives.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before September 1, 2018, the Board, in consultation with the State Board of Physicians, the State Board of Nursing, the Maryland Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Maryland Pharmacists Association, the Maryland Affiliate of the American College of Nurse–Midwives, the Maryland Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood of Maryland, the Maryland Association of Chain Drug Stores, and other interested health professional associations and stakeholders, shall adopt final regulations establishing:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Standard procedures that a pharmacist must use to select the appropriate contraceptive to prescribe for a patient or to refer the patient to a primary care practitioner or reproductive health care practitioner for treatment; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The conditions under which a pharmacist may prescribe and dispense contraceptives.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The regulations shall require a pharmacist to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, complete a training program approved by the Board for prescribing and dispensing contraceptives;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Provide a self–screening risk assessment tool that a patient must use before a pharmacist may prescribe contraceptives for the patient;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Follow the standard procedures established by the Board; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>After prescribing and dispensing contraceptives for a patient:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Refer the patient for any additional care to:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>The patient’s primary care practitioner or reproductive health care practitioner; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>If the patient does not have a primary care practitioner or reproductive health care practitioner, a family planning provider or a licensed clinician who provides reproductive health care services;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Provide the patient with:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>A written record of the contraceptives dispensed; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>Written information about the importance of seeing the patient’s primary care practitioner or reproductive health care practitioner to obtain recommended tests and screenings;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Record the prescribing and dispensing of the contraceptives in any electronic health record maintained on the patient by the pharmacist; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Provide the patient with a copy of the record of the encounter that includes the patient’s completed self–assessment tool and the contraceptive prescribed and dispensed or the basis for not prescribing and dispensing a contraceptive.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The regulations shall waive the requirement to complete a training program for a pharmacist who already has undergone the training as part of the pharmacist’s formal educational program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The regulations shall prohibit a pharmacist from prescribing contraceptives before January 1, 2019.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
