A study examining the impact of legislation allowing pharmacists to prescribe oral contraceptives in the US state of Oregon has highlighted the benefits of expanding the profession's scope of practice.
Data from the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) research found that pharmacist prescribing had improved access to the contraceptive pill, with almost 75% of patients being prescribed the pill by their pharmacist reporting they had not used the contraceptives in the previous month.
Researchers said the majority of these patients reported not using any birth control in the six months prior to receiving the prescription from the pharmacist.
"What that means is pharmacists are reaching women who are at the highest risk of unintended pregnancy," said Dr Maria Rodriguez, lead researcher and associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology in the OHSU School of Medicine.
While the research found that pharmacist prescribing was showing signs of being effective, the authors said the service had not been promoted widely, recommending that pharmacists take an active role in initiating discussions about their ability to prescribe contraceptive, when women request emergency contraceptives, or when they are in store for a flu shot.
The study revealed that pharmacists write one-in-10 new scripts for contraceptives, with Dr Rodriguez warning that a large proportion of the population at risk of an unplanned pregnancy were not accessing the contraceptives.
The 2017 legislation allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense drugs without a doctor's prescription, as long as a health professional has already made a relevant diagnosis.
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