Pharmacy provision of emergency contraception: the Ontario emergency contraception pilot project.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and evaluate a program to provide emergency contraception (EC) directly in pharmacies that would recruit and train pharmacists and physician partners, and inform women about the availability of EC in pharmacies.


METHODS
Pharmacists and physicians working in the Scarborough, Rexdale, and North York regions of Toronto were recruited to receive a training program on EC. The pharmacists in each pharmacy were linked with a designated physician who retrospectively authorized prescriptions provided under the protocol. Client eligibility for EC was determined using a self-administered questionnaire that was reviewed by the pharmacist. A poster and radio campaign advertised the service, and a telephone hotline informed users of their nearest participating pharmacy. Data on the client's age, reasons for requesting EC, time elapsed from intercourse until presentation, and requests for follow-up referral were analyzed using descriptive methodology. User satisfaction was determined through a mail-back questionnaire.


RESULTS
A total of 146 pharmacists practising in 40 pharmacies were linked with 34 physicians. In the 1 year of the project, 6931 prescriptions for EC were provided. Fifty-four percent of the women accessed EC within 24 hours of intercourse. The majority of women were very satisfied with the service, and 21.1% indicated that had they not obtained EC in this way, they would not have obtained it elsewhere. More information about birth control was desired by 10.2% of the women.


CONCLUSIONS
Direct pharmacist provision of EC is an effective pregnancy-prevention strategy that is well accepted by the women who access it.
Dunn
Sheila
S
Regional Women's Health Centre, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Brown
Thomas E R
TE
Cohen
Marsha M
MM
Cockerill
Rhonda
R
Wichman
Kris
K
Weir
Nancy
N
Pancham
Anna
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital