Birth Control Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Birth Control, including details on methods, ethics, religion, condoms, the pill. | ||||||||
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Pharmacy access to emergency contraception: Perspectives of pharmacists at a chain pharmacy in San Francisco.El-Ibiary SY, Raine T, McIntosh J, Darney PD, Harper CC Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. elibi-arys@pharmacy.ucsf.edu OBJECTIVE: To assess pharmacists' perception of their role in dispensing emergency contraception (EC) in San Francisco. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Community chain pharmacies in San Francisco during summer 2002. PARTICIPANTS: 76 Walgreens community pharmacists. INTERVENTIONS: Self-administered survey mailed to all pharmacists (n = 122) working in all Walgreens units (n = 49) in San Francisco. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pharmacists' attitudes regarding EC provision. Variations in sociodemographic, training, and practice characteristics were tested using chi-square statistics for categorical variables and Student t test for continuous variables. RESULTS: 76 pharmacists (62%) responded to the survey (approximately 50% women and 74% Asian). Knowledge among the pharmacists was very high; most knew the timing of the first dose (95%), the adverse effect of nausea (99%), the effectiveness compared with oral hormonal contraception (92%), that EC offers no protection from sexually transmitted infections (99%), differences from medical abortion (100%), and that EC does not increase the risk of birth defects (100%). Most pharmacists (91%) reported that participation in a direct pharmacy-access program would make them feel more important in their pregnancy prevention role, and nearly all (99%) supported pharmacy-access legislation for EC. Knowledge and attitudes did not differ by highest degree earned, position, age, or sex. CONCLUSION: An assessment of pharmacist experiences in the San Francisco area showed high capability and support for an enhanced professional role regarding EC. Published 22 November 2007 in J Am Pharm Assoc (2003), 47(6): 702-10.
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