Characterizing pharmacist-prescribed hormonal contraception services and users in California and Oregon pharmacies.

Objectives: This study describes hormonal contraception services provided by pharmacists and characterizes patient populations utilizing the service at one supermarket-based pharmacy chain in California and Oregon.
Study Design: This is a descriptive study of 391 pharmacies in California and Oregon within a supermarket-based pharmacy chain providing hormonal contraception services and the patients who utilized those services in a 6.5-month period between August 2016 and February 2017. Data were extracted from pharmacy prescription records and available visit documentation forms to describe services provided and patient characteristics.
Results: During the study period, 381 trained pharmacists from the pharmacy chain provided hormonal contraception services in 391 pharmacy locations in Oregon and California. A total of 2117 visits were completed and 1970 hormonal contraception prescriptions were issued and dispensed during the study period. Researchers were able to access documentation for 676 visits (32%). Patients from various age groups (range 13-55 years old) and geographical locations (22 states total) utilized the service. Most had health insurance (74%), had seen a primary care provider in the past year (89%) and were previous hormonal contraception users (91%). Contraceptive methods prescribed include pill (n=1886, 95.7%), patch (n=31, 1.6%), vaginal ring (n=51, 2.6%) and injectable (n=2, 0.1%).
Conclusion: Following scope of practice expansion, pharmacists in a community-based pharmacy setting are serving as an access point for women to obtain hormonal contraception services and supplies.
Implications: This study provides an initial look at California's and Oregon's expansion of hormonal contraception prescribing authority to pharmacists. The service was available across all pharmacy locations of a supermarket-based chain in California and select locations in Oregon and utilized by diverse populations of patients. Pharmacists effectively provided hormonal contraception services and supplies to most patients seeking hormonal contraception.
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