Until recently, women who wanted contraceptives had to see a doctor to get a prescription. A change in Utah law now allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense basic hormonal birth control directly to adult women.

“It can take a lot of time to get an appointment with a health provider for a patient to get the drug therapy they need,” said Carrie Dunford, chief pharmacy officer for Intermountain Health. “This is patient centric. They fill out a form online with their medical history and if they meet the criteria the prescription will be mailed directly to the patient with a three month supply. It’s for anyone over 18 and female, you don’t have to be a patient with Intermountain Health.”

A pharmacist won’t prescribe if there are risk factors, she said. “Patients with things such as blood clots will be referred to a physician. If a patient doesn’t qualify they will be handed off to an Intermountain Health physician who can expedite their care.”

Pharmacists will gather information over the phone and make sure all the patient’s questions are answered, Dunford said. “A new prescription is good for a year. It is filled three months at a time and they send a refill reminder text or email. It’s helpful to keep on track with their drug therapy.”

It’s a team-based approach, said Dunford. “Pharmacists at Intermountain Health work closely with the Intermountain physicians who are seeing the patient participants. They have access to their information so that they have all the records in one place.”

It is $20 for the virtual visit with an Intermountain pharmacist, said Dunford. “It’s really inexpensive to do that. It’s lower cost and open access.”

This can also reduce traffic at the doctor’s office and open up appointments for patients who have various women’s health concerns, she said.

“Pharmacists complete six years of education and have a wealth of specialized knowledge about medication and its various uses, management and dosing, as well as how medications can interact with each other,” said Sean Esplin, MD, senior medical director for women's health at Intermountain Health. “Routine birth control prescriptions and refills for women who are at low-risk of complications can be handled by pharmacists. They are a well-qualified and under-utilized resource for patients. In general, regular check-ups with a women’s health provider are recommended and with pharmacist-prescribed birth control, proof of a check-up is required every two years.” 

“Our biggest goal is to improve healthcare access for patients at a lower cost and this new program does both,” said Dunford. “This will make care more convenient for our patients and ensure women anywhere in the state have timely access.”

Dunford has worked as a pharmacist for 20 years. “I like the option that allows you to get care when you need it and not have to wait.”