17 Comments - Anon - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 11:55 am: ===prescribe contraception beyond doctors to pharmacists=== This kind of defeats the whole purpose of how tightly regulated the medical industry is in the State of Illinois. Pharmacists don’t receive hundreds of hours of diagnostic training and contraception can have side effects. So, who is going to be responsible if there’s an issue? Are the pharmacists going to have to carry malpractice insurance? There’s better ways to do this. - NoGifts - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 11:59 am: “he plan could decrease the likelihood a woman would regularly see her physician” actually the whole point is that many people don’t get birth control BECAUSE they have to see the physician and end up with unintended pregnancies. There isn’t really a good reason to see a doctor for birth control. If you’ve been to one of those annual appointments you’d see it yourself. - No Use For A Name - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 12:03 pm: Low income women vs the med lobby? In Illinois? It’s no surprise who won that round. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 12:08 pm: In my experience, the family and general practice physicians are very busy as is (at least, the competent ones), and the lead time for an appointment can be lengthy. It seems like this is a common sense approach to reducing some of that pressure for an unnecessary doctor visit. Actually, some insurance plans require you to see a pharmacist instead of a doctor for some shots, etc. - Ghost - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 12:17 pm: simce Rauner has a sports team and benefits indirectly from fantasy sports leagues, they should refuse to move it until the gov signs the antistrike law and map grants….. I would think conservative antiabortion and anti social service repubs would support contracwptive care. it reduces unwated pregnancies and adding new people who draw on social services…. they really need to pick a lane and stay in it…. do you want fewer people getting abortions and needing social services or do you want to reduce unwanted pregnancies and support those goals - benniefly2 - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 12:18 pm: ” One measure would ban juveniles charged with a crime from having access to their social media accounts. In addition, those individuals would be required to turn over access to their accounts to police.” Taking away someones right to speech because they have been charged with a crime can’t be legal. I could see if they were banned from contacting specific individuals involved with the case, but a total limit on their speech just feels unconstitutional to me. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 12:23 pm: ===and contraception can have side effects=== So can aspirin. - 2cents - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 1:01 pm: If women are having sex without condoms, they are at risk for both pregnancy AND cervical cancer, among other STDs. The reason for those annual exams is to check for cervical cancer and other diseases that can be treated if caught early. That is also the reason most docs / PAs, / APNs won’t send in a Rx for oral contraceptives without an appointment. Options exist for low income women to see medical professionals for exams and contraception (Planned Parenthood & Community Health Centers). Plus there are many many options that ARE available without an Rx that are significantly less expensive than birth control pills. - Payback - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 1:11 pm: “One measure would ban juveniles charged with a crime from having access to their social media accounts. In addition, those individuals would be required to turn over access to their accounts to police.” Right, we want police to take over the social media accounts of people accused of crimes, so they can plant or delete info. and interfere with their criminal defense. Great idea there. “The idea is to allow police to go through the online history of the accused looking for any information about the alleged crime.” Or erasing any records of crimes committed by police, like the three of five cameras that were not “working” when Laquan McDonald was shot. “Backers of the law said it could also prevent juveniles from stirring up trouble online while their cases play out in courts.” Yet police who delete their own vids are not charged with crimes, since the much ballyhooed Body Cam bill doesn’t criminalize the destruction of evidence by cops. The good old boys are in action again here. Which police unions are pushing this? I often wonder if we are living in Illinois in 2016, or Alabama in 1962? - Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 1:13 pm: I thought you guys hated Planned Parenthood. Besides, there are NO PP clinics south of Effingham. - Anon - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 1:20 pm: ===So can aspirin.=== Rich, your quip is a logical fallacy. If you think that various forms of birth control should be sold over the counter let them reclassify birth control to be sold over the counter or without a prescription. Or, if you want pharmacists to start being able to diagnose and treat patients (because that’s what this is) change the requirements to become a licensed pharmacist in this state. So, let’s not pretend that taking doses of various hormones to shut down a natural function over a long term period is the same as an acidic compound that’s found in tree bark that prevents headaches in low doses. Waving a wand so that someone that someone who is unqualified, untrained, and unpracticed can suddenly issue prescriptions for any one of the dozens of hormone therapy options isn’t necessarily a great idea. If you think it is, declassify the birth control drugs that you think can be sold over the counter. Don’t pretend like pharmacists are suddenly qualified to do things they shouldn’t be. - Gmma - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 1:46 pm: 2cents and Anon @ 1:20. Wonderful comments. With expanded Medicaid, payment should no longer be an excuse for women not seeing a provider. That expanded coverage is exactly the reason Dr Shah gave for eliminating the breast and cervical cancer prevention program from the budget - women can now get such services covered through Medicaid. Wonder if the malpractice insurers are lined up to support this proposal? - mary - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 1:57 pm: The OB-GYN are supporting movement of oral contraceptives to OTC. Boom! - 2cents - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 2:16 pm: Cheryl44. – Besides, there are NO PP clinics south of Effingham. — https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/illinois/effingham/62401/effingham-health-center-2937-90430 - Cheryl44 - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 3:58 pm: Fine. Now find one south of there. I got my information from the internets too. - NoGifts - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 4:54 pm: “ith expanded Medicaid, payment should no longer be an excuse for women not seeing a provider. ” You really don’t understand the lives of poor or young women. You may not be able to take time off from work on weekday business hours, you may not have transportation, you may not have someone to watch your other kids while you go, or you may just be worn down by life and adding a single additional impediment to the process can bring you to a halt. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Apr 6, 16 @ 6:34 pm: –Schaumberg Democratic Rep. Michelle Mussman..– Really, AP, and every media outlet that published this? I take it you outsourced your copy editors to Bangalore? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.