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 topic, you will see both my responses as well as responses from Dr. Lorinda Anderson of Oregon to the following questions:
In your opinion, what are the implications of legislation allowing qualified pharmacists in California and Oregon to prescribe and dispense certain types of contraceptives? What is your take on how women perceive these new laws?
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans are permitted to use cost sharing to encourage or discourage use of specific contraceptive products. In your opinion, how much does cost sharing influence the decision of which OC to prescribe? Are there any concerns that cost sharing could prevent a patient from receiving the OC that is optimal for her?
When choosing from among the many combination OCs available, how do the doses of estrogen factor into your decision (if at all) regarding which OC to prescribe?
For which patients and under what circumstances might one opt to prescribe a progestin-only OC or a combination OC?
What questions/concerns should pharmacists expect to address when counseling a patient who is being prescribed an OC?
In your experience, what are some common side effects that may occur with OC use? In the event that a patient finds specific side effects persistent and/or bothersome, what do you recommend in terms of next steps?
In what type of situation should a pharmacist refer patients to a women’s healthcare professional or other healthcare provider for contraception?
What would you like to communicate to your colleagues regarding the appropriate training and knowledge that should be acquired in order to begin prescribing contraceptives? Can you recommend any relevant resources that your colleagues could consult if needed?
Do you have any concluding remarks that you would like to share with our readers?
Please see the full newsletter here.
Thank you to MPR and Teva Generics for supporting this important content for pharmacists.
