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S. 477
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Davis and Ott
Document Path: LC-0348WAB25.docx
Introduced in the Senate on March 20, 2025
Introduced in the House on May 8, 2025
Last Amended on May 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House
Summary: Pharmacy access
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
| Date | Body | Action Description with journal page number |
|---|---|---|
| 3/20/2025 | Senate | Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 3) |
| 3/20/2025 | Senate | Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs (Senate Journal-page 3) |
| 4/30/2025 | Senate | Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs (Senate Journal-page 10) |
| 5/6/2025 | Senate | Read second time (Senate Journal-page 60) |
| 5/6/2025 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-44 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 60) |
| 5/7/2025 | Senate | Read third time and sent to House (Senate Journal-page 38) |
| 5/8/2025 | House | Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 48) |
| 5/8/2025 | House | Referred to Committee on Judiciary (House Journal-page 48) |
| 1/29/2026 | House | Committee report: Favorable Judiciary (House Journal-page 7) |
| 2/3/2026 | House | Requests for debate-Rep(s). McCravy, Frank, Beach, Edgerton, Magnuson, Guffy, Terribile, Long (House Journal-page 17) |
| 2/11/2026 | House | Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 19) |
| 2/17/2026 | House | Amended (House Journal-page 16) |
| 2/17/2026 | House | Read second time (House Journal-page 16) |
| 2/17/2026 | House | Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-5 (House Journal-page 17) |
| 2/18/2026 | House | Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (House Journal-page 15) |
| 2/24/2026 | Senate | Non-concurrence in House amendment (Senate Journal-page 25) |
| 2/24/2026 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-6 Nays-38 (Senate Journal-page 25) |
| 4/2/2026 | House | House insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Reps. Guest, Calhoon, and Bernstein (House Journal-page 2) |
| 4/14/2026 | Senate | Conference committee appointed Davis, Matthews, and Garrett (Senate Journal-page 12) |
| 4/29/2026 | Senate | Conference report adopted (Senate Journal-page 118) |
| 4/29/2026 | Senate | Roll call Ayes-43 Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 118) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Conference report received and adopted (House Journal-page 142) |
| 5/13/2026 | House | Roll call Yeas-98 Nays-15 (House Journal-page 143) |
| 5/14/2026 | Ratified R 142 | |
| 5/18/2026 | Signed By Governor |
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
3/20/2025
4/30/2025
1/29/2026
2/17/2026
5/13/2026
(R142, S477)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 40-43-210, RELATING TO THE DEFINITION OF A "SELF-ADMINISTERED HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVE" IN THE PHARMACY PRACTICE ACT, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION; BY AMENDING SECTION 40-43-230, RELATING TO PHARMACISTS PERMITTED TO DISPENSE SELF-ADMINISTERED HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, SO AS TO PROVIDE SUCH DISPENSATIONS MAY BE MADE PURSUANT TO CERTAIN WRITTEN JOINT PROTOCOLS; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 40-43-240, RELATING TO WRITTEN JOINT PROTOCOLS BY THE BOARD OF MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND THE BOARD OF PHARMACY TO AUTHORIZE PHARMACISTS TO DISPENSE SELF-ADMINISTERED HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES WITHOUT PATIENT-SPECIFIC WRITTEN ORDERS, SO AS TO INSTEAD PROVIDE THE DISPENSATIONS MAY BE MADE UNDER STANDING ORDERS OR WITHOUT STANDING ORDERS WHEN DISPENSED OR ADMINISTERED PURSUANT TO CERTAIN WRITTEN JOINT PROTOCOLS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Definition
SECTION 1. Section 40-43-210(9) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(9) "Self-administered hormonal contraceptive" means a drug composed of a hormone or a combination of hormones that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent pregnancy and that the patient to whom the drug is prescribed or dispensed may administer to herself. "Self-administered hormonal contraceptive" includes an oral hormonal contraceptive, a hormonal vaginal ring, and a hormonal contraceptive patch. "Self-administered hormonal contraceptive" does not include an intrauterine device or any drug intended to terminate a pregnancy.
Pharmacist dispensations and administrations of self-administered hormonal contraceptives
SECTION 2. Section 40-43-230(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(A) A person licensed under the South Carolina Pharmacy Practice Act who is acting in good faith and exercising reasonable care as a pharmacist and who is employed by a hospital or a pharmacy that is permitted by this State may dispense a self-administered hormonal contraceptive or administer an injectable hormonal contraceptive pursuant to a standing order by a prescriber, or pursuant to the written joint protocols as required by this chapter, to a patient who is:
(1) eighteen years of age or older; or
(2) under eighteen years of age if the person has evidence of a previous prescription from a practitioner for a self-administered hormonal contraceptive or an injectable hormonal contraceptive.
Protocols
SECTION 3. Section 40-43-240(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(A) The Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Pharmacy must issue a written joint protocol to authorize a pharmacist to dispense a self-administered hormonal contraceptive or administer an injectable hormonal contraceptive under a standing order or without a standing order when the contraceptive is being dispensed or administered pursuant to the written joint protocols as required by this chapter.
Time effective
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.
Approved the _____________ day of _________________________________________2026.
This web page was last updated on May 14, 2026 at 8:33 PM