For Providers and Pharmacists
The Food and Drug Administration has decided to allow women 18 and over to purchase a specific kind of EC called Plan B from pharmacies without a prescription. In Alaska, collaborative practice agreements between pharmacists and health care providers have allowed – and will continue to allow - women of all ages to purchase EC at certain pharmacies, without an advance prescription.
I am a health care provider. What can I do to improve access to emergency contraception in Alaska?
Talk to your clients about emergency contraception during their routine visits. Give them EC pills to keep on hand, just in case.
Set up a collaborative practice agreement with your local pharmacy to ensure that all Alaskan women have access to EC.
Sign up on the national EC referral website as an EC provider . The site, http://Not-2-Late.com, is managed by Princeton University and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. (Click on Info, then For Providers.)
Display educational materials in your waiting area and exam rooms. Contact us for help, or go to http://Not-2-Late.com. (Click on Info, then For Providers.)
Offer to give presentations to groups of women. Two PowerPoint presentations are available below for download or viewing online.
The new ruling from the FDA allows women 18 and over to buy EC without a prescription. Do we still need Collaborative Practice Agreements?
Yes. Women 18 and over will be able to buy EC over the counter. Women under 18 will still need a prescription to get EC at a pharmacy – unless the pharmacy has a Collaborative Practice Agreement.
Alaska allows pharmacists to enter into collaborative agreements with health care practitioners licensed to prescribe medication. Review these materials and contact AECP if you need help. We urge you to also enroll as a provider at http://Not-2-Late.com.
- Steps to Setting up a Collaborative Drug Agreement in Alaska
for Emergency Contraception [PDF, 16k] - Emergency Contraceptive Collaborative Agreement Protocol [PDF, 48k]
- GET THE most recent form at http://ec.princeton.edu/providers/index.html#provider
- Sign-Up Form for the Directory of Providers of Emergency Contraception [PDF, 20k]
- Patient Handout [PDF, 26k]
Further training is available through the Pharmacy Access Partnership.
I am a pharmacist. Should I dispense emergency contraception? Is it recommended?
Yes. Emergency contraception is legal in the United States. In August, 2006, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the drug for dispensation without a prescription for women age 18 and over. In Alaska, women under the age of 18 can also receive emergency contraception without a prescription at participating pharmacies.
The use of emergency contraception is endorsed by all the major medical associations, including, but not limited to: The American Medical Association, The American Pharmaceutical Association, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The American Academy of Pediatrics, and The Alaska State Medical Association.
You are not required by law to dispense emergency contraception. Keep in mind, though, that you are bound by some legal requirements and by professional ethical obligations to provide information. In response to some pharmacies’ refusal to dispense emergency contraception, the American Medical Association in 1999 passed a resolution seeking assurance that pharmacies who restrict the drugs notify patients of the store’s policy and refer those patients to a participating pharmacy.
Can I be held liable for my actions regarding emergency contraception?
It is unlikely that litigation would succeed as long as providers have followed the appropriate guidelines with respect to screening, prescribing, dispensing, and counseling.
Providers should be aware, however, that failure to inform patients of the availability of emergency contraceptive services when medically indicated may leave them open to allegations of malpractice; emergency contraception is the only treatment available to prevent an unintended pregnancy after unprotected intercourse.
Providers should be familiar with the ACOG Practice Pattern, and the FDA endorsement of certain combined oral contraceptives.
In one case, which occurred prior to the FDA notice, a California court found a hospital liable for failing to provide a rape victim with information about emergency contraception. The hospital claimed immunity under the state Therapeutic Abortion Act, which states that facilities with a religious affiliation can be exempt from liability for refusing to perform or permit an abortion. The Brownfield Court concluded that the immunity did not apply to emergency contraception, which is a “pregnancy prevention” treatment.
For more information on legal issues surrounding emergency contraception, please contact the Center for Reproductive Rights.
The Alaska Emergency Contraception Project asks women to file a report if they have experienced problems obtaining emergency contraception at a pharmacy.
Educational Materials
- Emergency Contraception: A Cost-Effective Approach to Preventing Unintended Pregnancy
An 11-slide overview explaining what emergency contraception is and how it works.
View Online | Download presentation [Powerpoint, 128k] - Preventing Unintended Pregnancy in Alaska
Explains the impact of unintended pregnancies in Alaska and the U.S., and resources for prevention and education.
View Online | Download presentation [Powerpoint, 100k]
The Alaska Emergency Contraception Project also makes available posters, wallet cards and telephone-protocol cards, by request. Materials are also available through http://Not-2-Late.com.
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