Suburban lawmakers debate birth control bill before House passes measure

Schaumburg state Rep. Michelle Mussman clashed Sunday with fellow suburban Reps. Deanna Mazzochi of Elmhurst and Amy Grant of Wheaton over legislation allowing pharmacists to distribute hormonal-birth control products to patients in much the same way a doctor can in Illinois.

House Bill 135, which passed in the House 70-44 Sunday, would allow pharmacists who complete an accredited training course approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health to consult with patients and assess whether or not they need birth control.

The Illinois Pharmacist Association and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supported the bill.

Mazzochi took issue with the legislation having no age restriction on who could ask a pharmacist for hormonal contraceptives in the form of a pill, patch or ring.

"In theory a 10-year old, 11-year old could actually ask a pharmacist for contraception?" Mazzochi asked Mussman.

Mussman responded that the child could ask, but it would be up to the pharmacist's professional judgment whether or not to distribute the birth control.

Grant took objection with a pharmacist being "allowed to bypass" an OB-GYN in the process of distributing birth control, calling the legislation "a bad bill."

The measure already passed the Illinois Senate, where it was sponsored by Sen. Melinda Bush, a Democrat from Grayslake. It will head to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk to potentially be signed into law.