Posts Tagged ‘birth control pills’
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…
Read MoreFinding Gluten-Free Oral Contraceptive Options for Your Patients
Patients with celiac disease or who otherwise follow a gluten-free diet need to be aware of potential sources of gluten, especially in medications such as oral contraceptives. The FDA defines gluten as “proteins that naturally occur in [wheat, barley, and rye or their crossbred hybrids] and that may cause adverse health effects in persons with…
Read MoreResponding to Patient Questions About Taking the Wrong Pill in the Pack
We want you to be prepared to answer your patient questions. One common mishap that may lead patients to call or consult with you is what to do if the wrong day’s pill is taken on accident? Before you can answer this question, you need to know what birth control pill formulation the patient is…
Read MoreHow to Set Your Birth Control Formulary and Inventory Levels
Inventory management can either make or break a pharmacy or clinic. It’s one of those things that you absolutely must keep a close eye on. Otherwise, things can go from good to bad and bad to worse very quickly. For the patient, their most basic expectation is to walk into the pharmacy with their shiny,…
Read MoreColorado is Third State Allowing Pharmacists to Prescribe Birth Control
More good news about access to birth control is coming from the state level. Colorado has passed legislation authorizing pharmacists to prescribe birth control after obtaining additional training. They are the third state to follow California and Oregon with this statewide authority specific to birth control. There is a task force that is charged with…
Read MoreAn OTC Birth Control Pill Could Become a Reality
An over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill is finally on the horizon. HRA Pharma, a French pharmaceutical company, has recently formed a partnership with the nonprofit research organization Ibis Reproductive Health to conduct the research needed to prepare and submit a new drug application for an OTC progestin-only pill to the FDA. While the approval may…
Read MoreMPR Ask the Experts Interview
A few months ago, I was interviewed by the team at Monthly Prescribing Reference (MPR) regarding pharmacist prescribing of oral contraceptives. The newsletter has just been published and I want to share with you all as it is a great reference if you are interested in prescribing oral contraceptives. In the 16-page newsletter dedicated to this…
Read MoreOther Uses for The Pill
While millions of women use birth control pills for pregnancy prevention, more than 1.5 million women (that’s 14% of pill users) are using it solely for another heath reason. Many women using the pills for birth control also rely on the pills for other purposes, mainly menstrual cramps/pain, menstrual regulation, and acne. Some pill users are…
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