The Alaska State Medical Board will delay its vote on a regulation requiring women to obtain a physical exam and a doctor’s prescription before obtaining emergency contraception. Currently, Alaska is one of eight states in which women can obtain emergency contraception from a pharmacist without a prescription.
The proposed change sparked an outcry, as hundreds of people sent letters emphasizing the importance of timely access to emergency contraception. State Representative Eric Croft (D-Anchorage) also criticized the extra cost involved in the exam as a possible financial burden, reports the Anchorage Daily News. The period for written public comment will now remain open through September, and comments will also be taken at the board’s October meeting.
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