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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Wendy Bennett1, Alicia D'Anella2, Carol Petraitis2, and Stephen Marcella, MD, MPH1. (1) Division of Epidemiology, UMDNJ-New Jersey School of Public Health, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08855, 732-393-0993, bennetwe@umdnj.edu, (2) The Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Project of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, 125 S. 9th Street Suite 708, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Background: It is estimated that more than half of all unintended pregnancies could be prevented through increased access to and use of emergency contraception (EC). Community pharmacists have a unique role in educating and counseling women as well as providing EC. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of information pharmacists provide to a caller about EC, the ability to refer a caller for a prescription and whether their pharmacies would be able fill a prescription that day. Methods: A random systematic sampling method was used to obtain a sample (N=320) of licensed pharmacies in Pennsylvania. The survey was conducted by two investigators posing as female consumers requesting more information about EC from pharmacists. Results: Almost half (49%) of all pharmacists correctly identified EC as containing hormones in high doses. However, ten percent of pharmacists labeled EC as an abortion method. Only 35% stated that they would be able to fill a prescription for EC that day. In a logistic regression model, stating, “EC requires a prescription” (OR=2.95) and a having a positive attitude towards the caller (OR=2.58) were significantly associated with EC provision. Conversely, pharmacists who labeled EC as an abortion method (OR=0.29) or stated, “I don’t know” during the survey (OR=0.18) were significantly less likely to provide EC. Conclusion: Access to emergency contraception from community pharmacists in Pennsylvania is severely limited. Because pharmacist knowledge is an important predictor for EC provision it is important to target educational campaigns towards the pharmacist community.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Contraception, Pharmacies
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.