Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111560

Claudia Patricia Velasquez, MPH¹, Caroline Blair, MBA¹, Ernesto Pinto, Lcdo², and James R. Foreit, PhD³. (1) Georgetown University School of Medicine, Institute for Reproductive Health, 4301 Connecticut Ave, NW, Suite 310, Washington, DC 20008, 202-687-1392, cv38@georgetown.edu, (2) CEMOPLAF, Av. 10 de Agosto y Cuero y Caicedo, 258, Quito, Ecuador, (3) 4301 Connecticut Avenue, Population Council, Suite 280, Wasshigton DC, DC 20008

Many couples risk unplanned pregnancy due to inaccessible or poor quality services. Programs are challenged to provide greater variety of services to an increasing number of users with reduced resources. Efforts to address unmet need must expand access to family planning options. A growing number of couples rely on pharmacies as their main source of health care. Successful over-the-counter provision of oral contraceptives has been documented in several settings. No similar information exists on the feasibility of providing the Standard Days Method (SDM), fertility-awareness based method, in pharmacies and the quality of counseling. A simulated client study conducted in Ecuador, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Benin compares information provided to potential SDM users in pharmacies and clinics. Simulated client profiles included women eligible and not eligible for the method. The visits were made to a randomly selected sample of providers and pharmacists from private, public clinics and pharmacies. Four different simulated clients visited each facility (480 in Ecuador, 192 in DRC, and 200 in Benin). Sales in pharmacies were small initially, but increased over time in response to media campaigns. Results suggest that pharmacists provided appropriate information when asked, but did not spontaneously offer guidance on method eligibility or use. Pharmacy users will need to rely on the package insert to determine if the method is appropriate for them and how to use it. A complementary study is underway comparing correct use and continuation among pharmacy and clinic users. Recommendations for expanding access through pharmacy networks will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to

(
• recognize reasons for expanding family planning options and accessibility; (
• articulate a procedure for evaluating quality counseling ; and (
• identify programmatic implications of providing a method through a pharmacy and ways to improve quality of information and client-provider interaction.

Keywords: Family Planning, Social Marketing

Related Web page: www.irh.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.