Pharmacists Expand Access to Reproductive heaLthcare

Completed

• Conditions: Contraception
• Interventions: Other: Pharmacist prescription; Other: Clinician prescription

• Registration Number: NCT03830567
• Lead Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University

Brief Summary

Prospective cohort study of women presenting to initiate hormonal contraception, prescribed by a clinician or pharmacist. Women will be followed for one year to assess contraceptive continuation and unintended pregnancy rates, as well as measures of safety and acceptability.

Detailed Description

Direct prescription of hormonal contraception (HC) by pharmacists, without a doctor's visit or medical prescription, is a strategy to improve access to contraception and reduce unintended pregnancy. Oregon is the first state in the nation to implement legislation, as of January 1, 2016, expanding the scope of pharmacists to prescribe short-acting HCs. House Bill (HB) 2879 allows pharmacists to directly prescribe HC including the patch and pill, without a medical prescription. Women over 18 years of age can either initiate or continue HCs with a pharmacist, and women under 18 can continue a prescription.

This prospective cohort study of women presenting to initiate hormonal contraception, prescribed by a clinician or pharmacist, aims to determine contraceptive continuation and incident pregnancy rates between women receiving hormonal contraception from a pharmacist versus other prescriber. Women will be followed for one year to assess contraceptive continuation and unintended pregnancy rates.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-01-27
• Study First Submitted: 2019-02-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-02-02
• Study First Posted: 2019-02-05
• Primary Completion: 2021-02-02
• Study Completion: 2022-02-28
• Status Verified: 2024-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-04-02
• Last Update Posted: 2024-04-04

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 471

Inclusion Criteria

• Women presenting to initiate hormonal contraception at a study pharmacy

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnancy
• Contraindications to hormonal contraception
• Under 18 years of age
• Unable or unwilling to consent

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Pharmacist prescription	Pharmacist prescription	-
Clinician prescription	Clinician prescription	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Contraceptive continuation rates	12 months	Percentage of contraceptive continuation assessed through survey at 12 months among women who present for contraception in pharmacies.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Oregon Health & Science University; 🇺🇸 Portland, Oregon, United States