The Wisconsin Catholic Conference is still fighting a plan to make it easier for pharmacists to prescribe birth control. The Assembly bill authored by Sturgeon Bay Rep. Joel Kitchens would allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptive patches and birth control pills to patients 18 years or older. The patients would still have to fill out a self-assessment form as well as have their blood pressure taken. While proponents say it the bill’s passage could save millions of dollars in related unplanned pregnancy costs, Wisconsin Catholic Conference Executive Director Kim Vercauteren says there are other issues beyond the church’s teachings.

Vercauteren says the Wisconsin Catholic Conference prefers people to practice natural family planning rather than artificial means. While the Assembly approved their version of the bill in early November, the measure was not passed by the Senate before the Wisconsin Legislature went on recess until the New Year.