Contraceptive Injections: A8664 McDonald / S8364 Webb and A2514 McDonald / S1703 Webb

MEMORANDUM OF OPPOSITION

S8364 Webb / A8664 McDonald
Relates to the administration of reversible progestin-only contraceptive injections

S1703 Webb / A2514 McDonald
Authorizes pharmacists to administer injections for contraceptive use

The above-referenced bills would allow pharmacists to administer birth control injections, rather than health care providers. The New York State Catholic Conference opposes both legislative proposals.

In its never-ending quest to score political points, the New York State Legislature continues to obsess over reproductive health issues. This agenda has led to the health and safety of women being overlooked in the name of catchy terms such as “access” and “choice.” The state Education Department, which controls pharmacists’ scope of practice, has expressed concerns surrounding the safety of the birth control shot. We must do more to ensure that medical interventions are properly vetted and administered carefully, instead of stripping away important guardrails for the sake of political ideology.

Women’s health should be a top priority for lawmakers, but removing thoughtful safety measures risks harm to the very population the sponsors aim to protect. We urge you to put safety over politics and reject these bills.