The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64826

Kelly Wolfe, MEd and Sara L Sulzbach, MPH. Commercial Market Strategies, 1001 G Street, N.W., Suite 400W, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 220 - 2178, kwolfe@cmsproject.com

In many Latin American countries, there is concern that embarrassment and lack of confidentiality prevent adolescents from purchasing condoms and other contraceptives in pharmacies. However, teenage pregnancy and adolescent reproductive health remains a serious problem in many countries. In response, CMS has partnered with NGOs in El Salvador and Mexico to develop a network of youth-friendly pharmacies to better meet adolescents’ needs. These sites were chosen due to their high rates of teen pregnancy and commercial sector interest in participating in the project. Baseline assessments suggested latent demand among youth aged 15 – 19 for “youth friendly” outlets. Also, focus groups with pharmacists and teachers revealed that pharmacists themselves needed more training on contraceptive methods and dealing with youth more effectively. CMS has designed a project that improves access to, and quality of, reproductive health products by providing ongoing training to pharmacists, while concurrently using peer education in schools, a hotline, and the Internet to increase awareness of the network among youth. Mass media was not pursued because of strong parental opposition, and because youth themselves preferred a “low key” campaign. Preliminary results indicate that the Youth Friendly Pharmacies in both countries are well-received by youth, and will play an important role in providing RH services and products to adolescents. CMS learned some critical lessons throughout implementation, which should encourage and inform other private sector efforts to improve the quality and availability of adolescent reproductive health services.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Effectively design a "youth friendly" pharmacies project.
• Describe the research methods used to inform the design and to eventually evaluate the impact of this project.
• Recognize the pros and cons of partnering with the private sector.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, 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.