A Year Supply of Birth Control is Becoming More of a Reality

Imagine being able to go to your pharmacy just once a year for your birth control! If passed, a bill named The Convenient Contraception Act would achieve that for more people.

Citizens of Washington, D.C. and several states already have the access to a year’s worth of certain forms of contraception that require a prescription (State Contraceptive Laws).

The Convenient Contraception Act would be helpful for many to stay consistent with their birth control method of choice. Pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies are not always able to keep up with demand, and there have been lapses in people getting their prescriptions on time, which is a big problem for birth control effectiveness.

How exactly pharmaceutical companies would comply with this act is something that I look forward to learning more about. I first heard of this news through Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy’s office and the current information is not yet clear which insurances would participate, or which types of contraception would be covered (Besides birth control pills, vaginal rings and patches also require a prescription).

Information from Senator Chris Murphy’s website:

”The Convenient Contraception Act addresses contraception access and equity issues. Currently, many health plans require patients to pick up their contraception prescription multiple times over the duration of a prescription, creating an unnecessary burden and increasing the likelihood of gaps in protection. This legislation, supported by Senator Murphy, permits individuals covered by private health insurance to pick up a full-year prescription supply at once and prohibits coverage plans from charging additional costs for a one-year supply”.