Social and legislative shaping of access to contraceptives and the pharmacist's role: A literature review

Pharmacists’ Perceptions, Barriers, and Potential Solutions to Implementing a Direct Pharmacy Access Policy in Indiana

“…For pharmacist-provided services to be financially sustainable, pharmacists must receive reimbursement for the provision of the service in addition to product dispensing (Dombrowski et al, 2019; Smith et al, 2010; Snyder et al, 2015). Currently, pharmacists in different states have gained the legal ability to prescribe, or “furnish,” hormonal contraceptives through either collaborative practice agreements, standing orders, or statewide protocols (Beal & Illingworth Plake, 2020). Pharmacists are not considered providers under collaborative practice agreements and standing orders, which prevents pharmacists from being able to directly bill for the service provided (Kliethermes, 2017; McGinley, 2017).…”

“…Policy makers have worked to improve women’s access to contraceptives by enacting what have been referred to as direct pharmacy access policies. Direct pharmacy access policies provide pharmacists with the legal ability to prescribe hormonal contraceptives to women, which can improve access by increasing the number of health care providers able to prescribe contraceptives and by allowing women to receive a prescription and the medication at the same location (Beal & Illingworth Plake, 2020; Gardner et al, 2008; Tak et al, 2019). In the past 5 years, 11 states and Washington DC have passed legislation to allow direct pharmacy access of hormonal contraceptives (Rafie & Landau, 2019).…”

Applying Contemporary Management Principles to Implementing and Evaluating Value-Added Pharmacist Services

“…For example, Farris et al utilized a CPA to extend pharmacists’ roles in providing oral contraceptive medications and other related services [77]. This and other programs like it, along with regulatory and societal attitude evolutions about oral contraception, have resulted in more commonplace pharmacist involvement in such services [78].…”

Impact of pharmacist prescribing through direct pharmacy access policies on access to hormonal contraception

“…contraceptive. 1,8 These policies may be implemented through statewide protocols, standing orders, or collaborative practice agreements (CPAs). 1 CPAs require additional administrative burden because pharmacists must enter into an agreement with individual health care providers such as physicians to be able to provide services.…”

“…1,8 These policies may be implemented through statewide protocols, standing orders, or collaborative practice agreements (CPAs). 1 CPAs require additional administrative burden because pharmacists must enter into an agreement with individual health care providers such as physicians to be able to provide services. 9 Statewide protocols and standing orders do not necessarily require pharmacists to take additional steps to be able to provide the service, but of the 3 mechanisms, only statewide protocols allow pharmacists to bill directly for the services provided.…”