title: Pharmacy access to emergency contraception: Perspectives of pharmacists at a chain pharmacy in San Francisco.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess pharmacists' perception of their role in dispensing emergency contraception (EC) in San Francisco.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community chain pharmacies in San Francisco during summer 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  76 Walgreens community pharmacists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered survey mailed to all pharmacists (n = 122) working in all Walgreens units (n = 49) in San Francisco.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An assessment of pharmacist experiences in the San Francisco area showed high capability and support for an enhanced professional role regarding EC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. elibi-arys@pharmacy.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Shareen Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: El-Ibiary
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Darney
authors.forename: Cynthia C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Harper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D010595:Pharmacists; D024382:Professional Role