Delaware Democrats seek to make it easier to get birth control at pharmacies. What would change

Democratic lawmakers want to make it easier for people to access birth control in Delaware.

Right now, only health care providers can prescribe birth control in Delaware. Proponents of the bill argue that the law creates an unnecessary hurdle for those seeking contraception, particularly in Kent and Sussex counties where there are doctor shortages.

Sen. Marie Pinkney, a Democrat from New Castle, filed Senate Bill 105 on Wednesday.

The bill would let pharmacists give out contraceptives. This would include pills, patches, vaginal rings and other forms of birth control. Pharmacists could also administer injectable contraceptives under the proposal.

Fourteen other states and D.C. let pharmacists give out contraceptives, according to a news release about the bill.

The bill would require the Department of Health and Social Services to create rules on how pharmacists can supply birth control. Pharmacists would have to be trained on how to administer it, for example.

It was unclear how much the law change would cost. Fiscal analysts with the General Assembly are still finalizing the estimated cost for the bill.

"Nearly 7 out of 10 women over the age of 15 actively use some form of contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies, to regulate their menstrual cycles, to manage endometriosis, and to reduce the risk of uterine cancer and ovarian cysts,” Pinkney said in a statement.

The six-person Senate Health and Social Services Committee plans to vote on the bill on Wednesday.

Twelve other lawmakers, all Democrats, signed onto the bill in support of it becoming law before the legislative session ends in June.

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Sarah Gamard covers government and politics for Delaware Online/The News Journal. Reach her at (302) 324-2281 or sgamard@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGamard.