Development and Pilot Testing of a Dispensing Protocol on Emergency Contraceptive Pills for Community Pharmacists in Belgium.

ABSTRACT: Community pharmacists in Belgium frequently dispense emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs). However, variable and insufficient counseling practices exist across pharmacies, highlighting the need for standardization and quality improvement strategies. The aim of this project was to develop and test an ECP dispensing protocol for pharmacists. An 'experience-based' co-design approach involving academic and practicing pharmacists was applied, followed by a 4-month test period and interviews to assess users' experiences. In total, eight geographically dispersed pharmacies participated. Pharmacists (n = 15) reached a consensus on most items to be included in the protocol, which was subsequently tested in seven pharmacies, with overall 97 registered ECP conversations. Pharmacists considered

SUBMITTER: Ceulemans M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9228420 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature