The Pharmacist’s Ability to Overcome Barriers, Expand Contraceptive Services

Patients across the US may be residing in states that give pharmacists a number of responsibilities when it comes to providing reproductive or contraceptive care, including prescribing status for hormonal contraceptives. However, since events following the 2022 Dobbs decision, these responsibilities vary significantly across the states.

Amid persistent disagreement on topics of abortion and reproductive care in the US, many pharmacists have been on the front lines in communities that are struggling to understand how their patients are supposed to access reproductive and contraceptive care post Dobbs. Especially in a rural community, like many destinations in Montana, reproductive health care is stigmatized.

“The biggest barriers we face in my area are limited transportation, lack of local clinics, and sometimes even internet connectivity for the telehealth visits,” Danielle Weaver, PharmD, owner of Big Sandy Pharmacy and Wolves Den Pharmacy in rural Montana, told Drug Topics. “There's also a lot of stigma surrounding reproductive health in smaller communities, which can make patients hesitant to seek care. By offering confidential, pharmacist-led services, we can help bridge that gap and provide that care in a safe and trusted environment.”

Along with Lissette Logan, PharmD, COO at OvaryIt, Weaver joined Drug Topics on the most recent episode of Over the Counter to discuss challenges and opportunities for pharmacists in providing contraceptive health services. The duo also touched on OvaryIt’s Pharmacist Resource to Implement Services as Modules, or PRISM, platform.

Listen through our full-length conversation with Weaver and Logan, who broke down PRISM, the ways in which OvaryIt is expanding women’s health services, and how pharmacists across the health care sector are improving reproductive care all around the US.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes of Over the Counter powered by Drug Topics every Thursday afternoon. Check out our most recent episode with Bill Wolfe, COO at WriteWise and former president of Aetna’s Pharmacy Management team. He discusses the changing tides in the PBM industry and how his company is working to disrupt the status quo.

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REFERENCE

Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022). National Constitution Center. 2022. Accessed September 12, 2025. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/supreme-court-case-library/dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization