The Medical Practice Act provides for licensure and regulation of physicians and surgeons by the Medical Board of California, and authorizes a physician and surgeon to, among other things, use drugs or devices in or upon human beings. The Medical Practice Act makes it unprofessional conduct for a physician and surgeon to prescribe, dispense, or furnish dangerous drugs without an appropriate prior examination and medical indication. The act prohibits, with specified exceptions, a person or entity from prescribing, dispensing, or furnishing, or causing to be prescribed, dispensed, or furnished, dangerous drugs or dangerous devices on the Internet for delivery to a person in California without an appropriate prior examination and medical indication.

The Nursing Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of registered nurses, including nurse practitioners and certified nurse-midwives, by the Board of Registered Nursing within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Nursing Practice Act authorizes a registered nurse to dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives, as specified, in accordance with standardized procedures, including demonstration of competency in providing the appropriate prior examination comprised of checking blood pressure, weight, and patient and family health history, including medications taken by the patient. The Nursing Practice Act also authorizes certified nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to furnish or order drugs or devices, as specified.

The Physician Assistant Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants by the Physician Assistant Board within the jurisdiction of the Medical Board of California, and authorizes a physician assistant to administer or provide medication to a patient or to transmit a drug order, as specified.

The Pharmacy Law provides for the licensing and regulation of pharmacists by the California State Board of Pharmacy within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and authorizes a pharmacist to furnish self-administered hormonal contraceptives in accordance with standardized procedures and protocols. The Pharmacy Law requires the standardized procedures and protocols to require a patient to use a self-screening tool that will identify patient risk factors for the use of self-administered hormonal contraceptives, as specified.

This bill, notwithstanding any other law, would authorize a physician and surgeon, a registered nurse acting in accordance with the authority of the Nursing Practice Act, a certified nurse-midwife acting within the scope of specified existing law relating to nurse-midwives, a nurse practitioner acting within the scope of specified existing law relating to nurse practitioners, a physician assistant acting within the scope of specified existing law relating to physician assistants, or a pharmacist acting within the scope of a specified existing law relating to pharmacists to use a self-screening tool that will identify patient risk factors for the use of self-administered hormonal contraceptives by a patient, and, after an appropriate prior examination, to prescribe, furnish, or dispense, as applicable, self-administered hormonal contraceptives to the patient. The bill would authorize blood pressure, weight, height, and patient health history to be self-reported using the self-screening tool.