Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Sep 23;8(4):176.
doi: 10.3390/pharmacy8040176.

Opposition to Pharmacist Contraception Services: Evidence for Rebuttal

Madeline Mitchell  1 , Courtney Stauffenberg  1 , Veronica Vernon  2 , Cortney M Mospan  3 , Allie Jo Shipman  4 , Sally Rafie  5
Affiliations

Opposition to Pharmacist Contraception Services: Evidence for Rebuttal

Madeline Mitchell et al. Pharmacy (Basel). .

Abstract

Pharmacist contraception services are growing across the United States. Several states have authorized pharmacists to prescribe contraception, and the interest in other states continues to grow. Opposition to these practices exists and centers on discussions related to safety, training, cost, and fragmentation of care. We review these arguments and provide evidence refuting these concerns. Pharmacist-prescribed contraception increases access to care, and patients express interest in utilizing this service at the pharmacy. Pharmacists follow evidence-based recommendations. Counseling on preventative services and referral to other providers is part of contraception care by pharmacists. Training programs have been developed to equip both pharmacy students and pharmacists with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to successfully provide these services. This article can serve as a guide for pharmacists and advocates when discussing pharmacist-prescribed contraception with policymakers, patients, and other healthcare professionals.

Keywords: birth control; birth control pharmacy; contraception; contraception access; contraception services; pharmacist; pharmacist prescribing; public health services.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Rafie S., Landau S. Birth Control Pharmacist; 2019. [(accessed on 29 June 2020)]. Opening New Doors to Birth Control: State Efforts to Expand Access to Contraception in Community Pharmacies. Available online: https://birthcontrolpharmacist.com.
    1. Kooner M., Joseph H., Griffin B., Lynch S., Vest K., Stewart-Lynch A., Weaver K. Hormonal contraception prescribing by pharmacists: 2019 update. J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2020.01.015. in press. - DOI - PubMed
    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2030. [(accessed on 19 August 2020)]; Available online: www.health.gov/healthypeople/
    1. Grindlay K., Grossman D. Prescription birth control access among U.S. women at risk of unintended pregnancy. J. Womens Health. 2016;25:249–254. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2015.5312. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bendtsen K. Bills as band-aids: Hopes and challenges of expanding pharmacists’ prescriptive authority to include contraceptives. HEC Forum. 2019;31:295–304. doi: 10.1007/s10730-019-09380-w. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources