"The Difference between Plan b and ella®? They're Basically the Same Thing": Results from a Mystery Client Study.

Guneet Kaur,Holly Bullock,Mary Tschann,Tiana Fontanilla

doi:10.3390/pharmacy8020077

Abstract

Pharmacy staff can serve an important role educating patients about emergency contraceptive pills (ECP), particularly ulipristal acetate (UPA), which requires a prescription. We conducted a secondary analysis of a previously completed mystery client study, assessing accuracy of information provided by pharmacy staffers to patients inquiring by telephone about filling a prescription for UPA. From the period December 2013 to July 2014, researchers used a mystery client methodology, contacting 198 retail pharmacies in Hawaiʻi. Researchers posed as patients or providers attempting to fill a prescription for UPA. During the course of the call, they asked about differences between UPA and levonorgestrel ECPs. Nearly half of all pharmacy staffers were unfamiliar with UPA. The majority of responses describing differences between the medications were incorrect or misleading, such as responses implying that UPA is an abortifacient. Lack of familiarity and incorrect information provided by pharmacy staffers may act as additional barriers in patient access to UPA. Health practitioners prescribing UPA should ensure patients receive evidence-based counseling at the time of prescription, while efforts should also be made to improve pharmacy staff familiarity with emergency contraceptive options.

Highlights

Introduction compared to levonorgestrelemergency contraceptive pill (ECP) (LNG ECPs) at one, three, and fiv Plan B One Step®, Take Action®, My Way®, AfterPill®, and more.Ulipristal acetate (UPA), a second-generation selective progesterone rAececpestos rtmo oUdPuAlattohrrosoulgdhinretail pharmacies is limited when co Trained research assistants posing as 18-year-old patients attempting to fill a UPA prescription mPhaadrmeaccya2l0ls20t,o8, 7p7harmacies utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire asking about the pharmac3yo’fs7 ability to fill a prescription for UPA
The majority of responses describing differences between the medications were incorrect or misleading, such as responses implying that UPAKeiyswanordabs:ourtliifparciisetnatl.aLceatcakteo; femergency contraception; pharmacies; amiliarity and incorrect information provided by pharmacy staffers may act as additional barriers n patient access to UPA
Introduction compared to levonorgestrel ECPs (LNG ECPs) at one, three, and fiv Plan B One Step®, Take Action®, My Way®, AfterPill®, and more

Summary

Introduction

Introduction compared to levonorgestrelECPs (LNG ECPs) at one, three, and fiv Plan B One Step®, Take Action®, My Way®, AfterPill®, and more.Ulipristal acetate (UPA), a second-generation selective progesterone rAececpestos rtmo oUdPuAlattohrrosoulgdhinretail pharmacies is limited when co Trained research assistants posing as 18-year-old patients attempting to fill a UPA prescription mPhaadrmeaccya2l0ls20t,o8, 7p7harmacies utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire asking about the pharmac3yo’fs7 ability to fill a prescription for UPA. Correspondence: guneet.kaur@columbia.edu of information provided by pharmacy staffers to patients inquirin eceived: 28 February 2020; Accepted: 20 April 2020; Published: 1 May 2020 prescription for UPA. Waned levonorgestrel ECPs. Nearly half onducted a secondary analysis of a previously completed mystery cluiennftasmtuildiayr, awsistehssUinPgAa.cTcuhreamcyajority of responses describing differe f information provided by pharmacy staffers to patients inquiringwbeyreteilnecpohrorencet aobromutisflielalidnignga, such as responses implying that UP

Results

Conclusion