title: Emergency contraception counseling in a retail pharmacy setting: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonprescription emergency contraception (EC) is now available for purchase without age restrictions. This is a great opportunity for pharmacists to provide counseling to ensure that customers use EC correctly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This pilot study explored the impact of student pharmacist counseling on customer knowledge of EC in a retail pharmacy setting and assessed customer satisfaction with the counseling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Counseling was performed at 2 retail pharmacies during June and July 2012. Participants completed a 12-question pretest that measured baseline knowledge of EC prior to a 5- to 10-minute education session, followed by the same 12-question posttest. A follow-up test was conducted via telephone within 1 to 3 months after the counseling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-seven women participated with a mean age of 30.2 (standard deviation = 7.2) years. The average posttest score was significantly higher than the pretest score (11.5 ± 1.0 vs 8.5 ± 2.5; P < .001). The mean follow-up score (9.9 ± 1.1) was significantly higher than the pretest score (P = .014), which indicated retained knowledge. Participants reported being highly satisfied with the counseling session and strongly agreed that the counseling would help them use EC correctly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Student pharmacist-provided EC counseling increased participants' EC knowledge both immediate and long term. This study suggests that EC counseling is feasible and valued by customers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA dragland@uams.edu.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ragland
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Nalin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Payakachat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stafford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D044363:Contraception, Postcoital; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: counseling; emergency contraception; pharmacist; retail pharmacy setting