Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced two new contraceptive initiatives for residents on Friday.
The state’s first emergency contraceptive vending machine is in service on the UConn Storrs campus. Connecticut is also launching a training program for pharmacists who want to prescribe birth control.
More than 6,500 pharmacists in the state are eligible for the $40, four-hour certification course.
“There can be many barriers to going to a primary care provider for contraception – potential costs, needing to take time off work, or traveling long distances. That is why both patients and pharmacists overwhelmingly supported this change,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz (D) said. “Everyone should have safe and reliable access to contraceptives. Governor Lamont and I remain committed to ensuring that our state continues to be the best place for women and that every patient in Connecticut has access to the care they need.”
Legislation to allow emergency contraceptive vending machines and pharmacist-prescribed birth control was passed in 2023.
It passed the Senate unanimously and the House 125-21.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, as of November 2024, Connecticut and New York were among the 30 states that allowed pharmacists to prescribe birth control.
