Administration of subcut depo provera by the community pharmacy

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Administration of repeat injections of subcutaneous Depo provera (Sayana®) from the community pharmacy.

• IRAS ID

  147530

• Contact name

  Sharon Cameron

• Contact email

  sharon.cameron@ed.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  NHS Lothian

• Research summary

  There is growing recognition of the potential that community pharmacists could play in delivering sexual health services within the UK. Pharmacists can take good medical histories and are the ideal health professionals to check for contra-indications to prescribed medicines. Community pharmacies are open at weekends and in the evenings, facilitating access. In previous research in NHS Lothian community pharmacists have undertaken training in sexual health and have provided treatment by following a clear patient group direction (PGD).

  A subcutaneous formulation of the injectable contraceptive Depo Provera (DMPA-SC, Sayana®, Pfizer Inc. licensed for use in the UK for some time) has recently (2013) become available in the UK. Community pharmacists in the UK currently administer other subcutaneous injections.

  Proposed project
  We would like to conduct a health services research project to evaluate repeat provision of DMPA-SC (Sayana®) from community pharmacies in NHS Lothian.

  In Edinburgh the specialist sexual health service ‘Chalmers Centre’ is active in clinical research. There is a network of community pharmacists in NHS Lothian who are trained and engaged in the provision of sexual health services (emergency contraception, bridging contraception and Chlamydia treatment) and who have collaborated with Chalmers Centre on research on these topics. We propose using this network to set up a pilot of provision of ‘repeat’ DMPA-SC to existing users of this method. Women already using DMPA-IM who wish to attend one of the participating pharmacies for repeat injections would switch to DMPA-SC. They would be given their first injection from Chalmers and then attend one of the participating pharmacies for subsequent injections over the next 12 months. Pharmacists would receive training in administration and would administer DMPA-SC according to a strict PGD. Close links with Chalmers would facilitate referral of women with bleeding problems or other side effects or who wished to change their method of contraception.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/EM/1058

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 Jul 2014

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion