The feasibility of contraceptive injections at the community pharmacy

The progestogen-only intramuscular injectable Depo-ProveraExisting users of Depo-ProveraGlobal unavailability of the product during the study adversely affected recruitment and retention. 50 women were recruited. Only 48 injections were delivered at the pharmacy out of a possible 150 (34%). About 26 participants received no injections at the pharmacy and only seven (14%) participants received all three injections at the pharmacy. Participants reported mixed experiences, with some welcoming the intervention but others experiencing difficulty with pharmacist availability. Pharmacists were enthusiastic about this expansion of their role, and did not view their availability as a barrier to service delivery.Delivery of the subcutaneous contraceptive injectable from a community pharmacy may be feasible but availability of sufficient numbers of pharmacists trained in this technique is necessary for a robust model of service delivery.