Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Hayley Blackburn
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Pharmacy Practice
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The pharmacist’s role in an outpatient setting is expanding from one focused solely on dispensing medications to one that collaborates with other healthcare professionals to offer clinical services. Pharmacists are professionally equipped to offer consultations regarding reproductive health services, as they are experts in medication therapy management and are easily accessible in community settings. Twenty states in the U.S. currently have laws permitting pharmacists to consult with patients and prescribe birth control, and several other states have similar legislation in progress. In rural states, pharmacists can bridge the gap many patients face in accessing quality reproductive care through this advancement in policy.
Three pillars comprise universal healthcare access: physical accessibility, financial affordability, and acceptability. Pharmacists can improve physical accessibility in rural areas with few nearby medical clinics by offering pharmacy-based services and can increase affordability by implementing low-cost fees for clinical assessment. However, less is known about the acceptability of reproductive health services in rural community pharmacy settings.
Patients hold various perspectives regarding a pharmacy’s place in their healthcare experience. Pharmacists are often regarded as highly skilled health professionals; however, patients’ willingness to seek reproductive care at pharmacies may be influenced by past experiences.
This research aims to explore both physical accessibility and acceptability of pharmacy-based services for reproductive care in Montana through a mixed-methods approach. Physical access to reproductive care will be explored by geospatial mapping and characterization of community pharmacy locations across Montana to examine the opportunities to enhance rural healthcare access. A qualitative analysis of interviews of rural Montanans will provide additional information about patients’ experiences when seeking reproductive health-related products and services from pharmacies to better understand patient perceptions of pharmacy-based care. These data will be combined to provide a better understanding of the current challenges and opportunities for pharmacists across Montana to improve reproductive care.
Category
Social Sciences
The Pharmacist's Role in Reproductive Justice
UC South Ballroom
The pharmacist’s role in an outpatient setting is expanding from one focused solely on dispensing medications to one that collaborates with other healthcare professionals to offer clinical services. Pharmacists are professionally equipped to offer consultations regarding reproductive health services, as they are experts in medication therapy management and are easily accessible in community settings. Twenty states in the U.S. currently have laws permitting pharmacists to consult with patients and prescribe birth control, and several other states have similar legislation in progress. In rural states, pharmacists can bridge the gap many patients face in accessing quality reproductive care through this advancement in policy.
Three pillars comprise universal healthcare access: physical accessibility, financial affordability, and acceptability. Pharmacists can improve physical accessibility in rural areas with few nearby medical clinics by offering pharmacy-based services and can increase affordability by implementing low-cost fees for clinical assessment. However, less is known about the acceptability of reproductive health services in rural community pharmacy settings.
Patients hold various perspectives regarding a pharmacy’s place in their healthcare experience. Pharmacists are often regarded as highly skilled health professionals; however, patients’ willingness to seek reproductive care at pharmacies may be influenced by past experiences.
This research aims to explore both physical accessibility and acceptability of pharmacy-based services for reproductive care in Montana through a mixed-methods approach. Physical access to reproductive care will be explored by geospatial mapping and characterization of community pharmacy locations across Montana to examine the opportunities to enhance rural healthcare access. A qualitative analysis of interviews of rural Montanans will provide additional information about patients’ experiences when seeking reproductive health-related products and services from pharmacies to better understand patient perceptions of pharmacy-based care. These data will be combined to provide a better understanding of the current challenges and opportunities for pharmacists across Montana to improve reproductive care.