Meeting teens' reproductive health needs at the pharmacy: A new model in California

In the new emergency contraception (EC) over-the-counter (OTC)/prescription environment, pharmacies are an essential access point for all women, especially in states where EC pharmacy access programs exist. As teens still require a prescription, pharmacies potentially present new barriers. Lack of EC awareness appears to be higher among young women than their adult counterparts. However, pharmacists are an invaluable resource. The “Teen-Friendly Pharmacy Model” seeks to make pharmacies a useful access point to meet teens' reproductive health needs. Teen-friendly pharmacy services are designed to address the unique challenges facing adolescents. Pharmacists are an invaluable resource for teens because, in most communities, they are easily accessible and well-positioned to respond to critical health needs arising from unprotected intercourse. Pharmacy Access Partnership, together with pharmacists, medical providers, public health experts and teens, collaborated to develop and implement a teen-friendly pharmacy model designed to meet teens' needs for reproductive health services in pharmacies. In focus groups, teens identified specialized approaches to attract, serve and retain teens as reproductive health clients, including: providers trained to address adolescents' specific biological, psychological and health needs, reasonably priced services, flexible hours, confidentiality, in-store privacy, respect, accurate information, and culturally competent services. The model includes pharmacists' training curriculum and pharmacy-based marketing materials that addresses specialized services to attract, serve and retain teen clients. Lessons learned from developing this model will be shared to facilitate greater understanding about effectively delivering reproductive health services to adolescents in pharmacy settings. While implemented in CA, this model can be replicated nationally.