A Nebraska lawmaker says her office has been contacted by families who have reported some pharmacists are wrongly refusing to fill prescriptions for gender-affirming medications for their transgender children, citing a new state law limiting the ability of anyone under 19 to get puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones. Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt sent a letter to the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Timothy Tesmer, asking him to inform all Nebraska healthcare professionals – including pharmacists – that the new law specifically allows minors who were already receiving those medicines before the law took effect to continue that treatment. The law, often referred to by its bill name of LB574, also bans gender-affirming surgeries for trans youth under 19. It took effect at the beginning of the month. Tesmer, who was appointed to that post weeks ago by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen released a set of emergency regulations until permanent regulations could be adopted, which is expected sometime after a public hearing is held on the final draft in late November. Those emergency regulations came after families, doctors and some lawmakers said they had largely gotten no response from the department on when the regulations would be in place. However, Hunt’s letter shows that parents and patients are still being denied prescriptions essential for care that were prescribed before October 1, 2023.
