PMID- 37237301
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20230530
IS  - 2052-3211 (Print)
IS  - 2052-3211 (Electronic)
IS  - 2052-3211 (Linking)
VI  - 16
IP  - 1
DP  - 2023 May 26
TI  - Oral emergency contraception practices of community pharmacies: a mystery caller 
      study in the capital of Germany, Berlin.
PG  - 68
LID - 10.1186/s40545-023-00565-w [doi]
LID - 68
AB  - BACKGROUND: In Germany, oral emergency contraception (EC) with the active 
      ingredients levonorgestrel (LNG) and ulipristal acetate (UPA) is available as 
      over-the-counter (OTC) medicine only from community pharmacies (CPs). Because of 
      the window of effect, which is limited to only a few days, CPs have a great 
      responsibility to provide rapid and unimpeded access, while also ensuring 
      "adequate" counseling. The aim was-for the first time in Europe and thus also in 
      Germany for the methodology used in this study-to investigate immediate 
      availability, pricing, and aspects of counseling. METHODS: Covert mystery calls 
      were conducted in a random sample of CPs stratified by districts in the German 
      capital Berlin. Each of the 263 CPs included was called once at random by one of 
      two trained female student mystery callers. They simulated a product-based 
      scenario for the UPA original ellaOne((R)), citing a contraceptive failure one day 
      ago as the reason. RESULTS: Of 257 successfully called CPs, UPA preparations were 
      immediately available in 98.4% (253/257) and LNG preparations in 86.8% (184/212) 
      of CPs. Prices for UPA preparations varied from euro15.95 to euro42.95 (∆ 169%; median 
      euro35.00 [interquartile range (IQR) euro5.91]) and for LNG preparations from euro10.60 to 
      euro32.49 (Delta 207%; median euro22.00 [IQR euro5.76]). Information about the correct 
      different window of effect of UPA and LNG preparations was provided in 69.8% 
      (127/182) of CPs. UPA preparations were recommended in 63.1% (111/176) and LNG 
      preparations in 17.2% (30/174) of CPs. Information was provided on how to take 
      them as soon as possible in 30.8% (44/143) of CPs and on how to use them after 
      vomiting in 46.0% (64/139). CONCLUSIONS: Berlin CPs support access through high 
      immediate availability, especially to UPA preparations. However, access is 
      hampered by high absolute price ranges of both UPA and LNG preparations, which 
      could ideally be minimized by a comparison app. It is positive that CPs promote 
      the benefits of UPA preparations by recommending them noticeably more often than 
      LNG preparations. However, there are deficiencies in giving advice, so there is a 
      need to raise awareness among pharmacy staff to ensure "adequate" counseling in 
      advance over the phone.
CI  - (c) 2023. The Author(s).
FAU - Lungfiel, Gwenda
AU  - Lungfiel G
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-8438-8465
AD  - Department of Health, Nursing, Management, University of Applied Sciences 
      Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg, Germany.
FAU - Mandlmeier, Franca
AU  - Mandlmeier F
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-3454-528X
AD  - Department of Health, Nursing, Management, University of Applied Sciences 
      Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg, Germany.
FAU - Kunow, Christian
AU  - Kunow C
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-2674-0344
AD  - Department of Health, Nursing, Management, University of Applied Sciences 
      Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg, Germany.
FAU - Langer, Bernhard
AU  - Langer B
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8410-5229
AD  - Department of Health, Nursing, Management, University of Applied Sciences 
      Neubrandenburg, Neubrandenburg, Germany. langer@hs-nb.de.
LA  - eng
GR  - 414051096/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20230526
PL  - England
TA  - J Pharm Policy Pract
JT  - Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice
JID - 101627192
PMC - PMC10215052
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Availability
OT  - Community pharmacies
OT  - Counseling
OT  - Emergency contraception
OT  - Germany
OT  - Mystery calls
OT  - Non-prescription medicines
OT  - Pricing
COIS- The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
EDAT- 2023/05/27 09:42
MHDA- 2023/05/27 09:43
PMCR- 2023/05/26
CRDT- 2023/05/26 23:35
PHST- 2023/03/02 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2023/04/25 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2023/05/27 09:43 [medline]
PHST- 2023/05/27 09:42 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/05/26 23:35 [entrez]
PHST- 2023/05/26 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.1186/s40545-023-00565-w [pii]
AID - 565 [pii]
AID - 10.1186/s40545-023-00565-w [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - J Pharm Policy Pract. 2023 May 26;16(1):68. doi: 10.1186/s40545-023-00565-w.