Blog
- All
- California
- Commentary
- Guidelines
- Indications
- Medication Abortion Resources
- Methods
- News
- Pharmacy
- Policy
- Reference
- Research
- Training
- Uncategorized
Updated CDC Contraception Guidelines
On August 6, 2024, the CDC released the 2024 U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (U.S. MEC) and the 2024 U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (U.S. SPR). These documents provide current evidence-based contraception recommendations for health care providers. The goals of the U.S. MEC and the U.S. SPR are to support the…
Announcing the Pharmacists CARE Initiative to Increase Access to Reproductive Health Services in California
$2 Million Contract Awarded to the Pharmacists CARE Initiative to Expand Medication Abortion Services in California Birth Control Pharmacist, in partnership with the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and the CPhA Foundation, is proud to announce the receipt of a transformative $2 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Over the…
Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills: FDA Considering HRA Pharma’s Opill
Why Over-the-Counter Birth Control? Oral contraceptives have been around since 1960, and their risks and safety profiles have been well-studied throughout the years. According to the Guttmacher Institute, unplanned pregnancies account for 45% of all pregnancies in the US. Furthermore, nearly one-third of individuals who have tried to obtain a prescription for hormonal contraception report…
Misoprostol-Only Medication Abortion Regimen
Political Climate After the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the constitutional protections for abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022, access to mifepristone and abortion services in general are being threatened across the country. An ongoing anti-abortion lawsuit in Texas seeks to reverse mifepristone’s FDA approval and remove it from…
Pharmacists Can Now Dispense Mifepristone Under Updated REMS Program
What Does the January 2023 Update Mean for Mifepristone Dispensing? Mifepristone is a medication that is used to end an early pregnancy. It has been available in the United States since 2000 and is widely used as a safe and effective option for ending a pregnancy during the first 10 weeks. As of January 2023,…
How Pharmacy Students Can Advocate for Pharmacist Prescribing of Hormonal Contraception
Can pharmacy students advocate for pharmacists prescribing hormonal contraceptives? YES, that is exactly what Wilson Pace, a graduate of the University of Utah College of Pharmacy did. When Wilson heard about the barriers and costs that women experience when accessing contraceptives. His perseverance and dedication to advocacy as a pharmacy student allowed him to take action…
Upcoming Changes to the Mifepristone REMS Program: Implications for Pharmacy Practice
Pharmacists in the community setting may soon have the opportunity to ease access to medication abortion in the United States. In the coming months, mifepristone (Mifeprex) is anticipated to have an updated Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program that allows dispensing through local brick-and-mortar and mail-order pharmacies. This change will integrate pharmacists into abortion…
Society of Family Planning Annual Meeting Highlights
The Society of Family Planning (SFP) annual meeting was held virtually on October 1st and 2nd this year with well over one thousand attendees. For those who are not familiar with SFP, it is a community of like-minded people including clinicians, academics, residents, fellows, and students who share the same interest for family planning. SFP…
Nextstellis®: A new drug update
A new combined oral contraceptive was approved by the FDA (Nextstellis®) in April 2021.1 Nextstellis contains estetrol, an estrogen that can be manufactured from plants and that was originally derived naturally during pregnancy from the fetus liver, and drospirenone, a progestin found in other currently available contraceptives. Drospirenone has antiandrogenic and anti-mineralocorticoid activity.2 Estetrol differs…
Present and Future Pharmacist Roles in Medication Abortion Care
Although there are currently restrictions on the ways that patients can obtain a medication abortion, this many soon change and pharmacists will be an important part of access.
A Primer on Reproductive Justice for Pharmacy Professionals
A pharmacy student reflects on what she learned from “Sex & Gender 101” — a gender-inclusive series designed to show learners how to take the first steps to providing care that addresses the specific needs of LGBTQI+ patients. This series includes a glossary of terms, resources for further study, and a “cheat sheet” for providers interacting with patients across the gender spectrum.
Updated Report on State Policy Efforts to Expand Access to Contraception in Pharmacies
Download free 22-page report describing the current landscape of direct access to contraception in pharmacies, state policy approaches and experiences, as well as implementation.
Sex & Gender 101
A pharmacy student reflects on what she learned from “Sex & Gender 101” — a gender-inclusive series designed to show learners how to take the first steps to providing care that addresses the specific needs of LGBTQI+ patients. This series includes a glossary of terms, resources for further study, and a “cheat sheet” for providers interacting with patients across the gender spectrum.
Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device for Emergency Contraception
A new research study evaluates levonorgestrel IUD for emergency contraception
Medication Abortion Curriculum: A Pharmacy Student Perspective
New training program by Birth Control Pharmacist and Provide includes pharmacy best practices to combat stigma and communication guides and online resources to help connect patients with local resources.
Outreach Initiative to Expand Access to Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA)
New training program by Birth Control Pharmacist and Provide includes pharmacy best practices to combat stigma and communication guides and online resources to help connect patients with local resources.
Webinar Introduces Pharmacists to New Hormonal Contraceptives
New training program by Birth Control Pharmacist and Provide includes pharmacy best practices to combat stigma and communication guides and online resources to help connect patients with local resources.
Webinar Equips Pharmacists to Provide Contraception Care During COVID-19
New training program by Birth Control Pharmacist and Provide includes pharmacy best practices to combat stigma and communication guides and online resources to help connect patients with local resources.
Putting Policy into Practice: Contraception Care in San Francisco Pharmacies
What makes some pharmacies more successful than others at implementing pharmacist-prescribed contraception care? To answer this question, we conducted a study to determine the extent of hormonal contraceptive prescribing, also referred to as furnishing in California, among San Francisco community pharmacies, and identify the factors that led to successful implementation.
Reducing Maternal Mortality in the United States through Collaboration
New training program by Birth Control Pharmacist and Provide includes pharmacy best practices to combat stigma and communication guides and online resources to help connect patients with local resources.
Founder Reflections on 2023
As I reflect on this past year, 2023 finally brought us some wins in reproductive health. And I personally had the opportunity to contribute to landmark steps forward. ⭐️ The FDA made long awaited changes to the mifepristone REMS program to allow pharmacies to dispense the essential medication. I was part of the research team…