Eastern Idaho sets policy on Plan B

IDAHO FALLS – Counties in eastern Idaho will no longer be allowed to opt out of the local health district’s emergency contraception program.

The District 7 Board of Health on Thursday approved a uniform policy for the eight counties it covers, reversing a policy it set two years ago that allowed counties to opt out of providing Plan B, the so-called morning-after pill.

Two of the counties, Bonneville and Jefferson, had opted out after county commissioners said they didn’t want minors to receive the pill without parental permission, the Post Register reported.

Richard Horne, director of the District 7 Health Department, said change in policy was due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision Aug. 24 to allow nonprescription sales of the pills to adult women. People age 17 and younger still need a prescription to receive the medication.

“It was time to revisit it again,” Horne told The Associated Press on Friday, adding that having a uniform policy was more desirable. “That was part of the discussion, too. We are aware that not being uniform caused a lot of political upheaval. It’s a live and learn kind of thing.”

Bonneville County Commissioner Dave Radford said parents should be able to advise their daughters concerning Plan B. Radford, Madison County Commissioner Ralph Robison, and Jefferson County Commissioner Tad Hegsted moved that counties continue to be allowed to opt out of providing the pill to minors.

But Gary Rillema, family services director for the district, told board members that it would be a violation of federal law to discriminate on who can receive Plan B based on age.

“If this passes, I won’t be allowed to administer that,” he said.

The motion was defeated on a 4-3 vote.