Authority: IC 25-26-13-4; IC 25-26-25-6

Affected: IC 25-26-25-5

Sec. 7. When a patient requests a medication for contraception or a pharmacist, in their professional judgment, decides to ask about pregnancy prevention and offers to initiate contraception counseling and treatment, the pharmacist shall complete the following steps:

(1) Determination of eligibility as follows:

(A) The patient is at least eighteen (18) years of age.

(B) The patient has received not more than a total of a twelve (12) month supply of a hormonal contraceptive from a pharmacist previously without evaluation by a primary care or women's health practitioner.

(2) Assessment as follows:

(A) The pharmacist shall ensure that the pharmacy provides appropriate space to prevent the spread of infection and ensure confidentiality. The pharmacist shall use the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use and U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (U.S. MEC) to guide the assessment and plan for the patient.

(B) For a new patient requesting contraception, and at least every six (6) months for a returning patient, obtain a completed self-screening risk assessment questionnaire from the patient before dispensing the self-administered hormonal contraceptive. If the results of the assessment indicate it is unsafe to dispense a self-administered hormonal contraceptive based on the U.S. MEC, the pharmacist shall refer the patient to a practitioner and may not continue to dispense a self-administered hormonal contraceptive to the patient.

(C) For a new patient requesting contraception, and at least every six (6) months for a returning patient, assess the patient's blood pressure before dispensing the self-administered hormonal contraceptive. If the systolic blood pressure is > 140 or diastolic blood pressure is > 90 mmHg, the pharmacist may prescribe a progestin-only self-administered hormonal contraceptive based on the U.S. MEC Summary Chart. If the results of the blood pressure assessment indicate it is unsafe to prescribe or dispense an estrogen-containing self-administered hormonal contraceptive, the pharmacist shall refer the patient to a practitioner and may not continue to dispense an estrogen-containing self-administered hormonal contraceptive to the patient.

(D) Upon prescribing a self-administered hormonal contraceptive, the pharmacist shall refer the patient to a primary care or women's health care practitioner.

(E) If the pharmacist deems the hormonal contraceptive medication inappropriate to dispense based on the self-assessment tool and as indicated by the U.S. MEC, the patient should be given an electronic or a written copy of the encounter, with the reason why the medication could not be dispensed. Referral should be made to the patient's primary care practitioner, or other reproductive health care practitioner or local family planning clinic, if the patient is not established elsewhere.

(Indiana Board of Pharmacy; 856 IAC 1-43-7; filed Mar 26, 2026, 3:03 p.m.: 20260422-IR-856250798FRA)