New drugs are constantly being approved by the FDA, and it is important for practicing pharmacists to stay up to date on new contraceptives. There are now over 50 unique contraceptives available, and pharmacists need to be aware of these and incorporate them into their practices. Birth Control Pharmacist recently hosted a webinar that aimed to educate pharmacists, pharmacy staff members, and other healthcare providers to feel more comfortable with the new contraceptive options they could prescribe or dispense.
The faculty speaker, Shareen El-Ibiary, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, is a professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice at Midwestern University, College of Pharmacy. She is also a consultant for Birth Control Pharmacist.
The program focused on three new hormonal contraceptives – Annovera, Twirla, and Slynd – along with one new nonhormonal contraceptive – Phexxi.
What is Annovera?
Annovera is a new contraceptive vaginal ring that contains segesterone and ethinyl estradiol. It is different from NuvaRing because it is used for 13 consecutive cycles, as opposed to just one cycle. It is not refrigerated.
What is Twirla?
Twirla is a new contraceptive patch that contains levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol. It is very similar to Xulane in terms of application, but Twirla has lower rates of headache, nausea, and breast tenderness.
What is Slynd?
Slynd is a new progestin-only oral contraceptive that contains drospirenone. In each pack of 28 tablets, there are 24 active tablets and four inactive tablets. The main benefit of Slynd over norethindrone is less opportunity for missed doses. Unlike norethindrone’s 3-hour window to take a dose, patients on Slynd have up to a 24-hour window to take a dose before it is considered a missed dose. Pharmacists need to be aware of the unique drug interactions associated with Slynd.
What is Phexxi?
Phexxi is a new prescription-only contraceptive gel that does not contain nonoxynol-9. Instead, it contains lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate. Phexxi should be applied vaginally within one hour before each episode of intercourse. It should not be used by patients who have recurrent urinary tract infections or urinary tract abnormalities.
Dr. El-Ibiary wrapped up the program by reviewing patient cases, and she even demonstrated a patient interaction within a pharmacy. This helped bring the concepts from the lecture portion to life and allowed participants to practice incorporating these new hormonal contraceptive into their counseling and other practices.
Fortunately, if you missed the webinar, the video recording and materials are available for home study online at https://birthcontrolpharmacist.com/newhc/. The course material is available to all, with pharmacists having the opportunity to obtain Continuing Pharmacy Education credit. This material provides education to participants to increase their comfort in prescribing, dispensing, or counseling patients on the new contraceptive options available.
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:
“As a P1, I appreciate how Dr. El-Ibiary explained everything clearly. It helped me better understand the content and I now have a much better understanding of contraceptives.”
“Very practical, real-life patient case scenarios were used as effective teaching points.”
“Amazing presentation. Very informative and easy to follow.”
“Thank you for providing this CE! It was both helpful & thorough.”
About the Author
Katie Hood, PharmD Candidate is a pharmacy student in the Class of 2021 at Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Katie completed an elective APPE rotation with Birth Control Pharmacist.
