COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A bill that would allow pharmacists to directly give birth control to women in South Carolina without a prescription is heading to the Senate floor.
Republican Sen. Tom Davis said he sponsored the bill because lawmakers passed a law earlier this year that could ban nearly all abortions.
Women, especially those living in rural areas or who are poor, deserve easier access to birth control in light of the new law, said Davis, who voted for the abortion bill.
The Senate Medical Affairs Committee approved the bill Thursday.
Senators said they expect to discuss a few changes to the bill on the floor, including whether pharmacists will be required to discuss birth control directly with women before handing it over or if the information can be in written form.
Davis said 12 other states don’t require women to see an gynecologist or other doctor before getting a birth control prescription.
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