The Repro Rx Podcast partnered with Central Valley Voices for Access for a special series called Reproductive Health Equity in Pharmacy Practice that has 4 episodes. This series discusses health topics with guest speakers who are pharmacists, activists, and community members across the country. These conversations are guided by Dr. Sally Rafie and Brianna Luna. Listeners will learn how pharmacists can take action to support access to reproductive services in their community.
Continuing pharmacy education credit available [see below].
Health equity refers to individuals being able to attain the highest level of health they can without any socially determined factors. Pharmacists are in the unique position to help promote health equity and understand the concerns their community faces. The role of the pharmacist goes beyond medication dispensing as they can truly provide valuable services to their community and promote health equity. In regards to reproductive health, pharmacists can help provide access and education by providing patient-centered care. This is a valuable skill that pharmacists can use to have a direct impact on the patients they care for. During this episode, you will learn factors that impact health equity, impacted patient populations, and how social determinants can impact reproductive health. The conversation closes with tips on how pharmacists can incorporate health equity into their practice.
Reproductive justice is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities. To support this right for all people, pharmacists can facilitate access to healthcare services. It is important for pharmacists to show they are here for their community members by valuing their patients and providing services, such as contraceptives. Pharmacists should provide contraceptive access to all patients to the extent possible. Patients will remember the pharmacist who takes the time to help them understand their options and feel agency over their reproductive health. We discuss how reproductive justice differs from reproductive rights. We then discuss the work that is being done to help support the reproductive justice movement and share ways that pharmacists can adopt reproductive justice into their practices.
Rural communities are disproportionately affected when it comes to reproductive care. These communities face challenges to access basic healthcare services. In rural communities patients have to travel further to access healthcare services. Rural communities have been negatively impacted by pharmacy closures which increases the burden these communities and remaining pharmacies face. Pharmacists who work in rural areas where pharmacies have closed can use this as an opportunity to build up their services and serve as a resource to their community. One way to connect patients to community services is by mapping community social resources, such as food banks, domestic violence shelters, and mental health services. By taking action, pharmacists can help bridge the gap in rural communities and ensure everyone has access to healthcare services.
Does your pharmacy offer youth friendly services? Learn how you can incorporate youth services into your practice in this episode. Youth and young adults deal with numerous barriers that impact their access to reproductive care. In order for patients to feel comfortable asking a pharmacist questions, it is imperative we create an environment that is inclusive and welcoming. We discuss the services pharmacists provide and how they can take action to create a safe environment for these patients. Pharmacists can partner with schools for outreach that they are here to serve this population. The importance of offering youth friendly services can allow this population to gain access to reproductive health services. The conversation closes by identifying the barriers for pharmacists offering youth services and discussing ways to improve access for this patient population.
Earn up to 2.0 contact hours (2.0 CEUs) of ACPE-accredited continuing pharmacy education (CPE) credit for this podcast series. Each episode provides 0.5 contact hours (0.05 CEUs) of CPE credit.
Upon registering, you will receive an email with the course login. Retain this email for access to the course and credit completion.
This activity has been supported through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Program and free registration is available for the first 200 participants.
Pharmacists, not claiming CPE credit – FREE
Pharmacists, claiming CPE credit – FREE
Pharmacy students/others – FREE
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this knowledge-based activity, the participant will be able to:
Episode 1. Intro to Health Equity
Define health equity and social determinants of health.
List ways pharmacists can combat health inequities in their practices.
Episode 2. Reproductive Justice
Define reproductive justice.
Discuss how healthcare provider biases and assumptions can adversely affect patient access and experiences.
Describe how pharmacists can incorporate reproductive justice principles into their practice.
Episode 3. Rural Communities
Identify the disparities and barriers to healthcare that affect people in rural communities.
Discuss strategies pharmacists can use to help create a safe and welcoming environment for patients.
Discuss what pharmacies can do to connect with and extend services to neighboring communities.
Episode 4. Youth-Friendly Pharmacy Services
Describe stigmas and barriers young people may face when seeking healthcare.
Outline privacy measures to make pharmacies safe and appealing for young people.
Disclosures: Clinical Advisory Board Member for Afaxys, Inc.
Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) through the joint providership of University Learning Systems and Birth Control Pharmacist. University Learning Systems is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE Universal Activity Numbers are: 0741-9999-23-034-H01-P, 0741-9999-23-035-H01-P, 0741-9999-23-036-H01-P, and 0741-9999-23-037-H01-P. This program provides 0.5 contact hours (0.05 CEUs) for each episode, for up to a total of 2.0 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) for the series, of continuing education credit for pharmacists.
Birth Control Pharmacist 