The law that took effect July 1 allows pharmacies and pharmacists to provide patients with information about their cost options for prescriptions.

Pharmacies used to simply be a place where you could pick up your pills — and maybe a cane or a page of stamps. But these days, they are much more.

Lawmakers opted to advance a slightly less restrictive bill than what they had a day before.

If you’re a patient-of-record at your pharmacy, Rep. Ben Smaltz’s bill allows you to continue buying pseudoephedrine, a standard cold medicine, as usual. If you’re not, you can buy a small amount of the drug before needing a prescription.

State health officials, law enforcement and legislators all praise what’s sometimes referred to as the miraculous effects of the overdose prevention drug called naloxone. But, many pharmacies aren’t stocking the drug.