COLOMBIA, SC (AP) – A bill that would allow pharmacists to give birth control directly to women in South Carolina without a prescription is going to the Senate floor.
Republican Senator Tom Davis said he sponsored the bill because lawmakers passed a law earlier this year that could ban almost all abortions.
Women, especially those who live in rural areas or who are poor, deserve easier access to birth control under the new law, said Davis, who voted in favor of the abortion bill.
The Senate Medical Affairs Committee approved the bill on Thursday.
Senators said they hope to discuss some changes to the current bill, including whether pharmacists will be required to discuss birth control directly with women before handing it over or whether the information may be in writing.
Davis said 12 other states do not require women to consult a gynecologist or other doctor before receiving a prescription for birth control.
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