HR4084-119

What This Bill Does

The Access to Birth Control Act creates federal duties for pharmacies that receive FDA-approved, cleared, or authorized contraception or contraception-related medication in interstate commerce. If a requested product is in stock, the pharmacy must provide it without delay. If it is not in stock but the pharmacy normally stocks it, the pharmacy must immediately tell the customer and, without delay, either locate and refer or transfer the prescription to a pharmacy chosen by the customer or the closest confirmed pharmacy, or order it under expedited procedures and notify the customer when it arrives. Pharmacies also must avoid environments where customers are intimidated, threatened, or harassed, and employees may not interfere with or obstruct contraception services or intentionally misrepresent availability.

Who Benefits and How

Contraception patients benefit because in-stock contraceptives and related medications must be provided without delay. Prescription-transfer patients benefit from required referral, transfer, or expedited ordering options when the pharmacy is out of stock. Women facing geographic, cost, language, immigration-status, discrimination, or stigma barriers benefit from a federal access standard at pharmacies. Reproductive health advocates benefit from enforceable pharmacy duties tied to contraception access.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Pharmacy providers must maintain compliance procedures for in-stock provision, out-of-stock notices, transfers, referrals, expedited ordering, and customer notifications. Pharmacy employees must avoid interference, obstruction, intimidation, harassment, and intentional misrepresentation of availability. Pharmacy chain employers must train staff and monitor store environments for contraception-access compliance. Objecting pharmacy workers may face workplace constraints when refusal or obstruction would delay patient access.

Key Provisions

• Requires pharmacies to provide in-stock contraception and related medication without delay.
• Requires immediate notice plus referral, prescription transfer, or expedited ordering when requested products are out of stock.
• Prohibits intimidation, threats, harassment, interference, obstruction, and intentional misrepresentation in contraception service delivery.
• Applies to pharmacies receiving FDA-approved, cleared, or authorized contraception products in interstate commerce.