Pharmacist Outlooks on Prescribing Hormonal Contraception Following Statewide Scope of Practice Expansion.

In an effort to increase access to contraception, the pharmacist scope of practice is being expanded to allow prescribing. While this is being accomplished in the United States by a variety of models, legislation that allows pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception under a statewide protocol is the most common. This study was designed to explore the outlooks of pharmacists regarding prescribing contraception in the period following the first state legislation and prior to statewide protocol development and availability.

Older teen attitudes toward birth control access in pharmacies: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To examine adolescent attitudes toward accessing contraception through a new pharmacist prescribing model in the State of California.

Study Design: In-depth telephone interviews were conducted in summer 2015 with 30 females ages 18 to 19 in California. Participants were recruited using a social media advertisement.

Preventing unintended pregnancy: pharmacists' roles in practice and policy via partnerships.

Objectives: To review the literature regarding pharmacists' roles in preventing unintended pregnancy, review the relevant laws and policies in the United States to describe pharmacists' and/or pharmacy's role in policy development related to unintended pregnancy, and identify partners who pharmacists can work with in this public health area.

Data Sources: A systematic review was conducted focusing on the role of pharmacists in unintended pregnancy. For practice, articles were identified in Medline through July 1, 2009, using MeSH and keywords.

Pharmacy access to emergency contraception in rural and frontier communities.

Context: Timely access to emergency contraception (EC) has emerged as a major public health effort in the prevention of unintended pregnancies. The recent FDA decision to allow over-the-counter availability of emergency contraception for adult women presents important rural health implications. American women, especially those living in rural and frontier areas, have one of the highest rates of unintended and teen pregnancy among developed countries.

Pharmacy and clinic partnerships to expand access to injectable contraception.

Objective: To explore the potential of pharmacist-administered contraceptive injections and feasibility and acceptability among patients, pharmacists, and clinicians.

Setting: Throughout California, 27 pharmacists practicing in 26 community independent and chain pharmacies partnered with 19 clinics/physician offices.

Practice Description: In spring 2003, Pharmacy Access Partnership launched a 2-year demonstration program in which established users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (e.

Birth control within reach: a national survey on women's attitudes toward and interest in pharmacy access to hormonal contraception.

Objective: This survey was conducted to better understand women's experiences with hormonal contraception and their interest in and attitudes toward gaining direct access to oral contraception (OC), patch, ring or emergency contraception (EC) in pharmacies.

Method: A nationally representative telephone survey of 811 women aged 18-44 years who were at risk for unintended pregnancy was conducted in the United States.

Results: It was found that 68% of women in the United States said they would use pharmacy access to OC, patch, ring and/or EC.

Pharmacy access to emergency contraception in California.

Context: California is one of eight states that allow a woman to obtain emergency contraceptives from a pharmacy without a physician prescription. Because many women do not know about emergency contraception or direct pharmacy access, it is important to understand barriers to getting the method and women's reasons for choosing the pharmacy option.

Methods: In a 2004 survey at 25 predominantly independent pharmacies across California that offered pharmacy access, 426 women completed questionnaires after obtaining emergency contraceptives.

Future of emergency contraception lies in pharmacists' hands.

Objective: To increase community pharmacists' awareness about issues related to the provision of emergency contraception (EC) to women by describing pharmacist outreach and training programs and discussing pharmacy access and stocking issues, California's EC Pharmacy Program, methods for raising pharmacists' awareness, and professional development opportunities.

Summary: EC is both safe and effective in reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy after unprotected intercourse, yet awareness of and demand for the medication has not been high, and it often is not stocked in pharmacies. Various advocacy organizations have engaged in educating the public and physicians about EC, but relatively little attention and few resources have been targeted to ensure that the pharmacy community is aware of and educated about EC.