Reproductive Equity Now Launches Advocacy Toolkit to Help Expand Access to Emergency Contraception in State Laws

Toolkit analyzes Repro Equity Now's successes in securing a statewide standing order for emergency contraception in MA, offers communications and advocacy resources for advocates in other states

BOSTON (October 18, 2022) – As access to emergency contraception becomes more important than ever in a post-Roe America, Reproductive Equity Now today launched the Emergency Contraception Access Expansion Toolkit, a guide to the organization’s successful advocacy to expand access to emergency contraception in Massachusetts. The toolkit analyzes Reproductive Equity Now’s work to pass a statewide standing order for both prescription and over-the-counter emergency contraception and new language to allow emergency contraception to be sold in vending machines. The toolkit is intended to serve as a resource for advocates in other states as they work to pass emergency contraception access expansions of their own, and offers recommendations for best practices when writing, advocating for, and implementing similar legislation. 

“With bodily autonomy under attack, ensuring affordable, prompt access to emergency contraception can make a radical difference in giving people control of their lives and futures. A statewide standing order means that patients can access the emergency contraception that is right for them in a timely manner—without a doctor’s visit—and take advantage of insurance coverage,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, executive director of Reproductive Equity Now. “We hope this toolkit can serve as a template for advocates in other states to draft, advocate, and implement laws of their own to expand access to emergency contraceptives. In a post-Roe America, activists in blue, purple, and red states must work together, share resources, and learn from one another’s successes to pass bold reproductive equity policy.”

The online Emergency Contraception Toolkit can be found HERE. A PDF of the Toolkit can be found HERE.

Included as part of the Emergency Contraception Toolkit is: information on how people can access emergency contraception through a statewide standing order; communications documents and talking points that were used to get the legislation passed; a copy of Massachusetts’ statewide standing order; and analysis of the successes and challenges involved in advocacy.

Under the statewide standing order for emergency contraception that was passed as part of the reproductive health care law in July, people in Massachusetts can access both over-the-counter and prescription emergency contraception using their insurance—without cost-sharing—at the point of sale. Consumers can go directly to their pharmacy counter and a pharmacist can dispense Plan B One Step® or ella®, covered through insurance, without a prescription. 

The law also included a statutory fix to allow over-the-counter emergency contraception to be sold in vending machines on college campuses and in community centers. Students at Boston University, Brandeis, Northeastern, and Harvard—in addition to municipalities like Salem—have begun to implement these dispensing machines.

What is a standing order?

A standing order is a document issued by a physician or prescriber that authorizes pharmacies to dispense medication without a prescription. A statewide standing order for emergency contraception removes barriers and makes it so that patients can go directly to their pharmacy and a pharmacist can dispense Plan B One Step® or ella® after consulting with the patient. 

Other examples of standing orders allow pharmacists to give flu vaccines without needing a prescription from each individual's doctor. Similarly, the widespread roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination was made possible because of a standing order.

Reproductive Equity Now is a grassroots organization focused on passing policies to promote reproductive health equity and ensure the full spectrum of reproductive health care for every person. The Emergency Contraception Toolkit is the second project of its kind for the organization and was made possible, in part, through a fellowship grant from Justice Catalyst, as well as funding from the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH). 

REN’s first toolkit, the Contraceptive ACCESS Toolkit can be found HERE, with a PDF of the Toolkit available HERE.

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