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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Claudia Velasquez, MPH, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, Population Council, Suite 280, Washington, DC 20008, 202-687-1392, cv38@georgetown.edu, Ernesto Pinto, MS, Research Department, CEMOPLAF, Av. 10 de Agosto y Cuero y Caicedo, 258, Quito, Ecuador, and James Foreit, PhD, Frontiers, Population Council, 4301 Connectict Ave, Suite 280, Washington, DC 20008, Honduras.

Pharmacies are a major source of health care for many people. As donor support decreases, providing contraceptives through pharmacies increases availability, use, and cost recovery, providing opportunities for sustainability. Successful pharmacy provision of hormonal contraceptives is documented but no similar information exists on the feasibility of pharmacy provision of the Standard Days Method (SDM). A social marketing strategy generated interest in and demand for the SDM. A study to evaluate the strategy was conducted in Ecuador, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Benin, including baseline and follow-up community surveys with a willingness-to-pay module; simulated client visits to pharmacies and clinics; service data from method sales; hotline calls; and press coverage. The survey was conducted among 800 women and 400 men in Ecuador, 530 women and 360 men in the Congo, and 400 women and 200 men in Benin. Simulated client profiles included women eligible and not eligible for the method. Simulated clients visited a random sample of clinics and pharmacies (142 in Ecuador, 282 in DRC, 96 in Benin). SDM knowledge, potential demand, and willingness-to-pay increased after the campaign. Most survey respondents heard about the SDM through television in Ecuador and radio in Congo and Benin. Pharmacists provided appropriate information when asked, but did not spontaneously offer guidance on method eligibility or use. Pharmacy sales were small initially, but increased over time in response to media campaigns. A complementary study is comparing correct method use among pharmacy and clinic users. Recommendations for expanding access through pharmacies will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will be able to

(
• recognize reasons for expanding family planning options and accessibility through pharmacies; (
• describe a methodology for evaluating a social marketing strategy; and (
• identify programmatic implications of providing a method through a pharmacy.

Keywords: Family Planning, Social Marketing

Related Web page: www.irh.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation