Majority of People Support Pharmacist Prescribed Hormonal Contraceptives
Investigators from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy discuss 2 studies that assessed perspectives on pharmacist prescribed hormonal contraceptives.
For the 66 million women in the United States aged between 15 to 44, access to reproductive health care is critical.1 But over the past several years, access to this type of care has decreased. This is due to a multitude of barriers, including difficultly finding clinics and logistical constraints. As pharmacists are the most accessible members of health care teams, they are well positioned to offer different care like contraceptive services.2 Over 30 states have now passed legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraception, with more pending.
In 2 studies published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, investigators set out to assess perspectives on pharmacist prescribed hormonal contraceptives as well as barriers faced in accessing contraception, among students, patients, pharmacists and clinicians.3,4 The studies found that, among all survey respondents, the majority supported pharmacist prescribed hormonal contraceptives.
Drug topics sat down with Ginger Lemay, PharmD, clinical professor of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research and residency program director at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, clinical professor of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and academic collaborations officer at the Rhode Island Department of Health, and Audrey Whalen, PharmD, clinical pharmacist specialist at Rhode Island Hospital, who were authors on both studies, to discuss the most common barriers patients face in accessing hormonal contraception, key challenges pharmacists face when prescribing hormonal contraception, and strategies pharmacists can use to build stronger patient trust.
“It’s been know that there is a significant provider shortage in the country right now,” Whalen said. “Contraception is a space where pharmacists are definitely trained and able to step up and fill that role and help provide prescriptions for these drugs that patients need right now. I would say that having pharmacists step up and provide this service can help free up some of the time that doctors are searching for. Pharmacists are trained to do it, we have a lot of education in school about it, and it is just something that we are able to do with our training, so why not put it to good use?”
References
1. Population. Report. March of Dime. February 24, 2024. Accessed January 27, 2025. https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?reg=99&top=14&stop=125&slev=1&obj=3
2. Espey E, Dennis A, Landy U. The importance of access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion: a statement from women's health professional organizations. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019 Jan;220(1):67-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2018.09.008. Epub 2018 Sep 26. PMID: 30267653.
3. Lemay V, Whalen A, Cohen L, et al. Assessing Student and Patient Perspectives on Pharmacist Prescribed Hormonal Contraceptives. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2024 Oct 3:102259. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2024.102259. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39368549.
4. Whalen A, Bratberg J, Cohen L, et al. Assessing pharmacist and clinician perspectives on pharmacist-prescribed hormonal contraceptives. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2024 Jan-Feb;64(1):314-320.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2023.11.013. Epub 2023 Nov 13. PMID: 37967721.
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