S 477 South Carolina Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pharmacy access

Summary
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. - RATIFIED TITLE
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Mar 20, 2025 Signed May 18, 2026
Floor votes · Senate May 6, 2025 · House Feb 17, 2026

How they voted

440
Passed
Total votes 44
May 6, 2025
D Democratic11
11 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican33
33 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
30
Key actions
12
Committee
8
Amendments
2
May 18, 2026
Signed into law
Signed By Governor
legislature
May 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Conference report received and adopted
lower
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference report adopted
upper
Apr 14, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference committee appointed Davis, Matthews, and Garrett
upper
Apr 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
House insists upon amendment and conference committee appointed Reps. Guest, Calhoon, and Bernstein
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Introduced
Non-concurrence in House amendment
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments
lower
Feb 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Feb 17, 2026
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (100-5-9)
house
Jan 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee report: Favorable Judiciary
lower
May 8, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Judiciary
lower
May 8, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and read first time
lower
May 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read third time and sent to House
upper
May 6, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (44-0)
senate
Apr 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report: Favorable Medical Affairs
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Introduced
Introduced and read first time
upper
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors