Michigan residents can now receive birth control prescriptions directly from their pharmacists.
Gretchen Whitmer signed that measure into law this week as part of a bill package improving access to reproductive health care throughout the state.
Michigan is facing a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists, with one-third of counties lacking a dedicated OB-GYN.
Ashlea Phenicie, Chief Advocacy Officer at Planned Parenthood of Michigan, says some residents face more barriers to obtaining contraceptives or receiving reproductive health care.
"Patients with low incomes, patients that live in rural areas or areas with a few healthcare providers as well as people who may have difficulty with transportation, whether from disability or not having a reliable car, do face additional barriers to getting to a doctor's office and then reliably picking up prescriptions," she said.
Other measures in the package include scholarships for doula training and requirements for health insurance providers to cover blood pressure monitors for pregnant and postpartum women.
Phenicie highlights the importance of access to reproductive health care with new changes in federal leadership.
“As we head into a second Trump administration where we know there will be a tax on access to reproductive health care, including accessible birth control, as well as potentially the amount of folks who have health care coverage, everything that we can do to expand access to reproductive health care is critical," Phenicie said.