# Evaluating pharmacist prescription of hormonal contraception among low-income women in Oregon

> **NIH NIH F32** · OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $30,230

## Abstract

Project Summary
Strategies to prevent unintended pregnancies support public health by building reproductive autonomy and
promoting the positive maternal and child health outcomes associated with intended pregnancies. One
approach to the prevention of unintended pregnancies is through reducing health systems barriers that
impede access to contraceptive services. The requirement that women obtain a prescription from a clinical
provider for hormonal methods of contraception is one barrier that may not be medically necessary for safe
use of methods such as the contraceptive pill. Endowing pharmacists with the authority to prescribe these
relatively safe methods of contraception may increase contraceptive use and reduce unintended pregnancies,
particularly among women who face undue barriers to accessing clinical services.
 The objective of this proposed research project is to provide scientific evidence for the effectiveness of
a policy that allows pharmacists to directly prescribe hormonal contraception among Medicaid-enrolled
women in Oregon. Specifically, this study will assess (1) whether women accessing pharmacist-prescribed
contraception are new users of contraception or whether they are continuing users who previously had
obtained prescriptions from another type of clinician; (2) whether direct pharmacy access to contraceptive
services is reaching women who face the greatest barriers to accessing services, including women living in
rural areas, those with the highest poverty levels, and racial and ethnic minorities; and (3) whether women
obtaining contractive prescriptions from pharmacists differ in past healthcare utilization compared to other
women.
 Linked Medicaid claims, eligibility, and provider data will be used to identify contraceptive services,
demographic characteristics, and receipt of preventive care among Medicaid-enrolled women following
implementation of the pharmacy access policy and in the relevant timeframe prior to implementation.
Comparisons will be made between women receiving prescriptions from pharmacists to women receiving
prescriptions from other types of clinicians using advanced statistical methods and taking into account
variations in demographic characteristics as appropriate.
 Results of this study can be used to inform other state and national policy efforts to increase access to
contraceptive services. Successful aspects of Oregon’s policy can be translated to other contexts, while
evidence of any gaps in implementation can be used to improve future policies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9999654
- **Project number:** 5F32HD095554-03
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Susannah Emily Gibbs
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $30,230
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-28 → 2021-03-21

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9999654

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9999654, Evaluating pharmacist prescription of hormonal contraception among low-income women in Oregon (5F32HD095554-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-14 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9999654. Licensed CC0.

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