Development of a Protocol Using the Delphi Method for the ad interim Supply of Hormonal Contraceptives in Swiss Pharmacies.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Yous, Tamara Spinatsch, Esther Allemann, Samuel Lutters, Monika
Editor	Mager, Natalie DiPietro Bright, David
Copyright Year	2022
Abstract	(1) Background: Pharmacists are often challenged with situations where women are already on hormonal contraceptives (HC) but have no valid prescription. By Swiss law, pharmacists are allowed to supply prescription-only drugs in exceptional situations without a physician’s prescription. Because eligibility for HC can change, women at risk for complications, such as serious side effects, need to be identified. We aimed to develop a protocol to assist pharmacists in clarifying and documenting eligibility for HC. (2) Methods: We conducted a survey using the Delphi method to identify relevant clarifications and develop a protocol for pharmacists. Proposed material was created based on the literature and existing toolkits/protocols aimed at verifying eligibility for HC. A multidisciplinary expert panel, consisting of gynecologists and pharmacists, reviewed the proposed material and provided anonymized feedback over two survey cycles. (3) Results: This Delphi survey revealed items essential to the clarification of eligibility for HC in pharmacies for women who are already using it. This resulted in a protocol that maps “best practices” regarding these ad interim supplies of HC given without a prescription in Switzerland. (4) Conclusions: This survey, made using the Delphi method, allowed us to create a protocol for pharmacists that aims to verify and document eligibility for HC in Switzerland, where HC is frequently supplied without a prescription.
Related Links	https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC9785210&blobtype=pdf
Journal	Pharmacy [Pharmacy (Basel)]
Volume Number	10
DOI	10.3390/pharmacy10060168
PubMed Central reference number	PMC9785210
Issue Number	6
PubMed reference number	36548324
e-ISSN	22264787
Language	English
Publisher	MDPI
Publisher Date	2022-12-02
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). © 2022 by the authors.
Subject Keyword	pharmaceutical service pharmacist prescribing community pharmacy birth control eligibility for contraceptives contraception behind the counter patient safety women’s health
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Pharmacy