• Current projects

The ALLIANCE Trial 

Women who undergo a medical abortion or use emergency contraception (EC) are more likely than others to have a future unintended pregnancy. While community pharmacists are able to provide contraceptive counselling and referrals, limited knowledge, training and remuneration has created barriers to delivering this service.
 
The ALLIANCE (Quality family planning services and referrals in community pharmacy: Expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice) Trial aims to support the use of effective contraception among women at high risk of unintended pregnancy, by introducing private consultations, contraceptive counselling and referral services in a community pharmacy setting.
 
Currently, the trial is exploring the impact of patient-centred, effectiveness-based contraceptive counselling in increasing knowledge and access among women seeking EC or early medical abortion (EMA) through community pharmacies. 
 
Our co-designed approach involves three components; contraceptive counselling, funded consultations to be delivered in a private consultation room and referrals for patients to identify and access follow-up care services, where required. This model is designed to improve contraceptive knowledge and training among pharmacists while providing women with access to options that most align with their reproductive preferences.
 
 
 
 

Publications

Pharmacy-based initiatives to reduce unintended pregnancies: A scoping review (2021)

Buckingham P, Amos N, Hussainy SY, Mazza D
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021 Oct;17(10):1673-1684

Scoping review of pharmacy-based initiatives for preventing unintended pregnancy: protocol (2020)

Buckingham P, Amos N, Hussainy SY, Mazza D
BMJ Open. 2020 Feb 2;10(1):e033002