Pharmacy availability of emergency contraception in southwestern Pennsylvania: A simulated patient study

Katherine Orr; Jennifer Chin; Maris Cuddeback; Jessica Zimo; Colleen Judge-Golden; Marian Jarlenski; Sonya Borrero

doi:10.1016/j.conx.2021.100068

Pharmacy availability of emergency contraception in southwestern Pennsylvania: A simulated patient study

Contracept X. 2021 Jul 25:3:100068. doi: 10.1016/j.conx.2021.100068. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Katherine Orr¹, Jennifer Chin², Maris Cuddeback¹, Jessica Zimo¹, Colleen Judge-Golden^{1

3}, Marian Jarlenski³, Sonya Borrero^{3

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
³ Center for Women's Health Research and Innovation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
⁴ Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
⁵ Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the availability of oral emergency contraception in southwestern Pennsylvania pharmacies.

Study design: We conducted a simulated patient study to assess on-the-shelf availability of levonorgestrel emergency contraception and immediate availability of ulipristal acetate emergency contraception.

Results: Only 44% of pharmacies stocked levonorgestrel on-the-shelf and only 5% of pharmacies had ulipristal acetate immediately available.

Conclusions: We found significant barriers to obtaining timely oral emergency contraception in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Implications statement: Timely access to emergency contraception is important for people's ability to determine if, when, how, and under what circumstances to have children. Pharmacies in southwestern Pennsylvania need to expand access to oral emergency contraception.

Keywords: Access; Levonorgestrel; Oral emergency contraception; Ulipristal acetate.