New Yorkers Can Now Purchase Birth Control Without a Prescription

Photo: CINDY SCHULTZ/CINDY SCHULTZ/The New York Times/REDUX

New Yorkers will now be able to purchase birth control over the counter.

On Tuesday, at the College Parkside Pharmacy in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul and State Health Commissioner James McDonald signed into law a new order from the state Health Department, which would allow drugstores to sell three varieties of contraception medication without a prescription.

“This will dramatically, dramatically increase access to this for women, particularly at a time when women are feeling discouraged and not listened to and powerless,” Hochul said.

Per the new regulations, the three forms of contraception newly available over the counter are birth-control pills, contraceptive patches, and vaginal rings. Participating pharmacists can dispense up to a 12-month supply of the medication, which will be covered under insurance. The state’s Board of Regents, which distributes pharmacy licenses, approved the change last week.

McDonald said that the new rules will pertain to anyone who visits a pharmacy in the state, not just residents. “Basically, what we’ve done today by me signing this order is, if you come to New York and you want to have contraception, I’ve issued a prescription for you,” he said. “For this role, I become your doctor as the state’s physician.”

This is just the latest move New York has made to reinforce reproductive rights in the state after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. That year, Hochul directed $35 million in state funds toward supporting abortion providers in anticipation of the Court’s ruling. She also ordered the state to begin stockpiling misoprostol, a drug used in medication abortions, as the procedure is increasingly at risk.