Assembly Passes Emergency Contraception Bill

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced today that the Assembly passed legislation allowing women needing Emergency Contraception (EC) - or the morning-after pill - to access it through a pharmacist, registered nurse or licensed midwife without a prescription. The Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act (A.888) is sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, who noted that current law requires a prescription from a doctor before a pharmacist can dispense EC.

"Today's action continues the Assembly Majority's long-standing commitment to ensuring women's access to quality, wide-ranging health care services," said Silver. "I applaud Assemblywoman Paulin for her hard work and dedication to this vital women's health issue and urge the Senate to follow the Assembly's lead and pass this bill."

"It is critical that women have easy access to this highly effective and safe method of pregnancy prevention," said Paulin. "The New York State Assembly has sent a clear message today in passing this legislation. The message is this - we support giving women access to emergency contraception. We support the recommendation of the Food and Drug Administration's scientific committees and urge the commissioner to approve emergency contraception for over the counter use. We support a woman's right to self-determination."

"This bill is about protecting a woman's health, and helping her avoid an unwanted pregnancy, if that is her choice," said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried.

Paulin explained that emergency contraception (EC) is a back-up birth control method used to prevent unintended pregnancy. The EC pills are higher-dose birth control pills and must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.

"By allowing women to obtain emergency contraception directly from a pharmacist we can immediately and substantially reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions. While we await the FDA commissioner's approval of EC as an over-the-counter medication, the New York Assembly is showing the nation bipartisan support for making it easier for women to get this safe medication in a timely way. If the FDA commissioner allows politics to trump science and refuses to allow EC to go over-the-counter, it will be up to the Senate and governor to follow the Assembly's lead and ensure New York's women can quickly and easily access EC," said Kelli Conlin, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New York.

"The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District II/NY (ACOG) continues to be an ardent supporter of increasing access to EC, including making it available over-the-counter. However, there are no guarantees that the FDA will approve the application," said ACOG's vice chair, Richard N. Waldman, MD, FACOG. "If action on Plan B's application is delayed for further review or the application is denied, women will again be left without timely access to this important, safe and effective back-up method of birth control. ACOG is grateful to Assembly Member Paulin and the Assembly leadership for taking the initiative to pass the Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Act to ensure the women of New York have timely access to EC."

"Emergency contraception is safe and effective," said JoAnn Smith, president and CEO of Family Planning Advocates of New York State. "We have been working hard to increase access to EC so that more women have the opportunity to prevent unintended pregnancy. Assembly passage of Amy Paulin's bill is a critical step toward that goal."

"The New York State Nurses Association strongly supports this bill because it improves women's access to a safe, effective, and convenient means of preventing pregnancy - and therefore it improves women's reproductive health. It is absolutely essential that women have access to emergency contraception in a timely manner - usually within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse or sexual assault. Permitting registered nurses to provide emergency contraception removes a significant barrier to accessing the drug(s). When such patients come to a registered nurse and ask for help, the nurse must be able to help - to do otherwise runs counter to the nurse's commitment to the patient," said Gail Myers, Senior Associate Director for Governmental and Political Relations.

"Making emergency contraception more easily available will have important public health benefits, improve women's health, prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce abortions in New York State," said Michael Caldwell, MD, MPH, President of the New York State Association of County Health Officials and Dutchess County Health Commissioner.

"The National Organization for Women - New York State strongly supports the passage of emergency contraceptive legislation. A woman's right to control when or if she has a child is the cornerstone of freedom and self-determination," stated NOW-New York State President, Kathryn Lake Mazierski.

"We urge New York State Legislators to pass the Unintended Pregnancy Act and ensure that women in New York State have the right to reproductive choice and access to emergency contraception," said Théa Griffin, Assistant Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers - New York State Chapter. "Emergency contraception has been established as a safe and effective means of preventing unwanted pregnancies."

According to Paulin, local, trained pharmacists are widely accessible to women and can provide an easy and cost-effective way to access EC. In Washington, California, Alaska, New Mexico and Hawaii - pharmacists can already dispense EC directly to a woman. More than a dozen legislatures, including New York's, are currently considering similar proposals.

Nearly half of America's 6.3 million annual pregnancies are accidental, Paulin added. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the widespread availability of EC could prevent 1.7 million unintended pregnancies per year in the United States, of which approximately half end in abortion.