Tag: blood pressure

Webinar Equips Pharmacists to Provide Contraception Care During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic it has been quite the adjustment to deliver safe and quality patient care. Specifically, for contraception care, pharmacists have been working extra hard to continue their direct patient care with how accessible they are. Birth Control Pharmacist recently hosted a webinar that facilitated an educational program and discussion for pharmacy staff members to feel more equipped to deliver contraception and emergency contraception services during COVID-19.

We had multiple speakers of diverse backgrounds in order to give different perspectives on the effects of COVID-19 on contraception care and how pharmacists can best help their patients. The panel speakers were Jennifer Karlin, MD, PhD an attending physician in Family & Community Medicine at UC Davis and Sonya Frausto, PharmD who is the pharmacist-in-charge at Ten Acres Pharmacy, an independent community pharmacy.

What is the healthcare landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Laying out the landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic helped paint a picture to participants about the extensive effects on contraception care. Whether that be loss of insurance or fear of infection from going to healthcare facilities, it highlighted how important it can be for pharmacists to assist their patients with contraception while following national guidelines.

How can pharmacists prescribe birth control safely?

National guidelines covered prescribing birth control and also social distancing to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Telehealth has been a useful service in adhering to social distancing, while also maintaining face-to-face encounters. This helps patients maintain a personal relationship with their pharmacist.

What are some best practices within the pharmacy?

There are many useful suggestions throughout the webinar, but a useful tool they referenced is the Contraceptive Care Best Practices During COVID-19 best practices guide for pharmacies created by Birth Control Pharmacist.

Dr. Frausto wrapped up the program by reviewing useful tools and resources to use while in the pharmacy. Then she demonstrated a patient interaction within a pharmacy. This helped really bring the whole webinar together with a real-world example and solidified that this webinar is well worth the watch.

Fortunately, if you missed the webinar, the video recording and materials are available for home study online at https://birthcontrolpharmacist.com/careduringcovid/. The course material is available to all, with pharmacists having an opportunity to obtain Continuing Pharmacy Education credit. This material provides education to participants to increase their comfort in providing contraception care, including prescribing hormonal contraception, in community pharmacies during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Participants provided feedback at the conclusion. Keep reading to see their positive reviews and gain a better idea of what to expect from the online course:

“I loved this CE. Very informative, the speakers were great and passionate about the topic!”

“As a newer pharmacist, this type of information helps me to feel better prepared to provide these kinds of services to patients.”

“Loved the topic, very timely for COVID.”

“I was coming from a state where pharmacists did not prescribe birth control so this was a new perspective for me.”

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About the Author

Samantha ThompsonSamantha Thompson, PharmD Candidate is a pharmacy student in the Class of 2023 at University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Samantha completed a summer internship with Birth Control Pharmacist.

Measuring Blood Pressure: An Important Prerequisite to Prescribing Hormonal Contraception

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Why is it important to measure blood pressure before prescribing hormonal contraception?

Combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) are a relatively safe and effective method for your patients in preventing pregnancy and treating other disease states such as menorrhagia, endometriosis, PCOS and more. However, CHCs may increase the risk for a few serious cardiovascular events. This risk is increased if a patient has hypertension.

Screening for hypertension prior to staring CHCs is a class A recommendation for safe use according to the U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use (SRC). In a systemic review, women who did not have their blood pressure checked prior to starting hormonal contraception had higher odds of having an acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.

Also, in a small percentage of patients, CHCs can cause life-threatening hypertension, which can lead to irreversible damage to the kidneys and cause renal failure. This effect can last after the medication is discontinued.

Due to these severe adverse effects, all patients are screened for hypertension prior to starting CHCs. If a patient is hypertensive, they should be treated appropriately and have blood pressure well controlled prior to starting a hormonal contraceptive method.  

How do CHCs raise blood pressure?

The mechanism by which CHCs increase blood pressure is unknown. Regardless, CHCs can cause small increases in blood pressure in both normotensive patients and patients with hypertension which is significant enough to be recognized as a risk for hypertensive patients.

Who is at risk of complications from CHCs?

It is not advised to use CHCs in patients with severe hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥ 100 mmHg). However, in people with controlled and monitored hypertension and who are also under 35 years of age, CHCs may be appropriate as long as they are otherwise healthy and do not smoke (U.S. MEC 3). It is important to mention that even if a patient has hypertension that is under control, there is still a risk present for cardiovascular events and that other contraceptive options should be considered before initiating a CHC.

Patients are at a higher risk of cardiovascular complications if they are older than 35 years of age, have a familial history of hypertension, cardiovascular disease or preexisting occult renal disease, and if the patient is obese. Providers should use discretion in patients with these preexisting conditions before starting CHCs or consider more appropriate contraceptive options.

What other options are there for patients with hypertension?

Patients with uncontrolled hypertension, or who are at risk of malignant hypertension have other options for contraception. Progestin only contraceptives such as progestin only pills (POPS), the shot, or levonorgestrel-containing IUDs are recommended over CHCs according to the CDC MEC for women with hypertension. Non-hormonal options include the copper-containing IUD, condoms, or spermicides.

References

  1. Tepper NK, Curtis KM, Steenland MW, Marchbanks PA. Blood pressure measurement prior to initiating hormonal contraception: a systematic review. Contraception 2013;87:631–8.
  2. CDC. U.S. medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 2016. MMWR Recomm Rep (No. RR-X);2016.
  3. Development, updates, and future directions of the World Health Organization Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use. Int J Gynecol Obstet 2017;136: 113–119 – 04 January 2017
  4. Armstrong, Carrie. Hormonal Contraceptives in Women with Coexisting Medical Conditions. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Apr 15;75(8):1252-1258.
  5. El-Ibiary SY, Shrader SP, Ragucci KR. Contraception. In: DiPiro JT, Yee GC, Posey L, Haines ST, Nolin TD, Ellingrod V. eds. Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, 11e. McGraw-Hill; Accessed July 22, 2020. https://accesspharmacy-mhmedical-com.mwu.idm.oclc.org/content.aspx?bookid=2577&sectionid=227710658

About the Author

Elizabeth Duxbury Pharm.D. is a recent graduate of University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2019.

Article reviewed by Breanna Failla, PharmD Candidate and Brooke Griffin, PharmD, BCACP