South Carolina S 477: Pharmacy access

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 477 Text of Previous Version (May. 13, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 477

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Conference Report Adopted - Not Printed

May 13, 2026

S. 477

Introduced 
by Senators Davis and Ott 

S. Printed 5/13/26--S.

Read the first time March 20, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 40-43-210, RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF A "SELF-ADMINiSTERED HORMONAL 
CONTRACEPTIVE" IN THE PHARMACY PRACTICE ACT, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 40-43-230, RELATING TO PHARMACISTS PERMITTED TO DISPENSE 
SELF-ADMINISTERED HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, SO AS TO 
PROVIDE SUCH DISPENSATIONS MAY BE MADE PURSUANT TO CERTAIN WRITTEN JOINT 
PROTOCOLS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 40-43-240, RELATING TO WRITTEN JOINT PROTOCOLS 
BY the BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND THE BOARD OF PHARMACY TO AUTHORIZE 
PHARMACISTS TO DISPENSE SELF-ADMINISTERED HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES WITHOUT 
PATIENT-SPECIFIC WRITTEN ORDERS, SO AS TO INSTEAD PROVIDE THE DISPENSATIONS MAY 
BE MADE UNDER STANDING ORDERS OR WITHOUT STANDING ORDERS WHEN DISPENSED OR 
ADMINiSTERED PURSUANT TO CERTAIN WRITTEN JOINT PROTOCOLS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of 
South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 40-43-210(9) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (9) "Self-administered hormonal 
contraceptive" means a drug composed of a hormone or a combination of hormones 
that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent 
pregnancy and that the patient to whom the drug is prescribed or dispensed may administer to himselfherself. "Self-administered hormonal contraceptive" 
includes an oral hormonal contraceptive, a hormonal vaginal ring, and a 
hormonal contraceptive patch. "Self-administered hormonal contraceptive" does 
not include an intrauterine device or any drug 
intended to terminate a pregnancy.

SECTION 2. Section 40-43-230(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) A person licensed under the South 
Carolina Pharmacy Practice Act who is acting in good faith and exercising 
reasonable care as a pharmacist and who is employed by a hospital or a pharmacy 
that is permitted by this State may dispense a self-administered hormonal 
contraceptive or administer an injectable hormonal contraceptive pursuant to a 
standing order by a prescriber, or pursuant to the written 
joint protocols as required by this chapter, to a patient who is:

 (1) 
eighteen years of age or older; or

 (2) 
under eighteen years of age if the person has evidence of a previous 
prescription from a practitioner for a self-administered hormonal contraceptive 
or an injectable hormonal contraceptive.

SECTION 3. Section 40-43-240(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) The Board of Medical Examiners and 
the Board of Pharmacy must issue a written joint protocol to authorize a 
pharmacist to dispense a self-administered hormonal contraceptive or administer 
an injectable hormonal contraceptive without a 
patient-specific written orderunder a standing 
order or without a standing order when the contraceptive is being dispensed or 
administered pursuant to the written joint protocols as required by this chapter.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

/s/Sen. Davis /s/Rep. 
Bernstein

/s/Sen. Matthews /s/Rep. 
Calhoon

/s/Sen. Garrett /s/Rep. 
Guest

 On Part of the Senate On 
Part of the House

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This web page was last updated on May 13, 2026 at 04:44 PM