Safeway Pharmacies in MD Providing Women With Hormonal Birth Control Prescriptions
Safeway’s Eastern division is now offering greater access to contraceptive care for women at 30 Safeway pharmacies in Maryland, following the January 2019 implementation of a state law that enables women to get a birth control prescription directly from a pharmacist.
The pharmacies are among the first in the region where pharmacists have undergone state-mandated training to provide hormonal birth control without a previous prescription. Since the law took effect, 80 pharmacists in Safeway’s Eastern division pharmacy department have received the training.
To obtain hormonal contraceptives through a Safeway pharmacist, a patient completes a self-assessment questionnaire and meets privately with a pharmacist to discuss the information on the form and her personal contraceptive needs. If the patient’s self-assessment and blood pressure are satisfactory, the pharmacist creates the written prescription, counsels the patient, and dispenses the medication in pill, patch, ring or depo (injectable) form. The process takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and doesn’t require an appointment.
“Our proactive preparation to provide this service makes family planning easier by giving our patients daily, barrier-free access to trained health professionals and quality resources,” said Greg Herr, director of pharmacy at Safeway’s Eastern division, in Lanham, Md. “Our pharmacists are equipped and ready to offer this service in 30 of our Maryland stores now, with plans to bring all of our Safeway Pharmacies in Maryland on board in the future. This policy allows us to expand and better serve patients, providing superior health care service to our customers.”
The billing process consists of two transactions, for the medication and for the consultation service fee. Insurance covers the cost of the birth control medication, and Safeway’s pharmacist consultation service fee is $35. Under Maryland law, Medicaid covers the consultation fee. If a patient doesn’t have insurance, she can pay cash for the consultation service and discuss with the pharmacist what low-cost contraceptive choices are available.
The banner operates a total of 54 pharmacies in Maryland. The division has a total of 59 stores.
Safeway and its Eastern division are part of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. The Eastern division operates 112 Safeway stores in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Delaware. Albertsons is No. 3 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
