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…

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Meet Phexxi – A New Non-Hormonal Contraceptive Gel

About the Product Lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate (Phexxi, Evofem Biosciences) is a prescription combination, non-hormonal contraceptive gel approved by the FDA in May 2020. The vaginal gel was found to be 86.3% effective with typical use when inserted up to 1 hour before vaginal intercourse.1 The gel acts as a contraceptive by…

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Measuring Blood Pressure: An Important Prerequisite to Prescribing Hormonal Contraception

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…

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Effectiveness of Hormonal Contraceptives in Patients with Higher Weights

Introduction Obesity is becoming more prevalent every year and as pharmacists, it is important to revisit current contraceptive options for these patients. Overweight patients are defined as having a BMI ranging from >25-29.9 kg/m2 and obese patients a BMI >30 kg/m2. Currently there are no safety contraindications in patients with a BMI > 25 kg/m2…

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Finding 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…

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