title: Relationship between availability of contraceptive products and pharmacists as information sources.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the relationship between the availability and accessibility of contraceptives in Iowa pharmacies and the extent to which pharmacists act as an information source regarding contraceptives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, exploratory, nonexperimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Iowa in fall 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  282 pharmacists at Iowa community pharmacies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Contraceptive availability score, contraceptive accessibility score, and total access score. Regression analyses tested the relationships between the pharmacist information source score and the contraceptive availability, accessibility, and total access scores, controlling for geography, ownership, staff size, and average number of prescriptions per day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant positive relationships between the pharmacist information source score and product accessibility, product availability, and total access were observed. The relationship appeared to be driven primarily by product availability, and all were significantly influenced by pharmacy type. Significant negative relationships were found between product accessibility and independent/small chain pharmacies and mass merchandiser/grocery store pharmacies relative to large chain pharmacies. A significant negative relationship was found between independent/small chain pharmacies and the product availability score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant relationships were found between pharmacists' ability to act as sources of information for contraceptive products and the availability, accessibility, and overall access to contraceptives in the pharmacy.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1112, USA. elizabeth-cook@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Farris
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chrischilles
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aquilino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D010594:Pharmacies; D010595:Pharmacists; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D003270:Contraceptive Agents