Guest Column - A study on emergency contraception availability in Corvallis

By: Elizabeth Parker & Nella Parks

Posted: 5/31/07

We are concerned about emergency contraception (EC). From rape victims in Florida to teenagers in South Dakota, women and girls across the country are not being allowed full access to reproductive control. In the United States, emergency contraception is marketed as Plan B. Plan B works by thickening the mucus lining on the cervix and prevents the egg from implanting in the uterus. Medically, pregnancy does not begin until the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus. Despite the fact that Plan B has been FDA approved for over-the-counter distribution since August of 2006 it can still be difficult for women (and men) to acquire. Some pharmacies refuse to stock Plan B. In some cases pharmacists have refused to dispense Plan B over the counter. Are we now allowing strangers to make our health care decisions for us?

The issue of Plan B availability and pharmacist refusals has been taken up by feminist and pro-choice groups around the country. This inconsistency has been investigated through a campaign of so-called "EC Stings." Activists attempted to buy Plan B at local pharmacies to find out where it is available and how readily it can be obtained. The Oregon State University Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (OSU FMLA and Pro-Choice OSU (PCOSU)) ran EC Stings on Corvallis pharmacies between Feb. 5 and Feb. 20 to find out how available it is in a progressive, college town where demand for Plan B is high.

We visited nine different area pharmacies in pairs. Pharmacies were each visited twice, during two different times of the day, by both male and female club members. Regrettably, accessibility to EC was not consistent. Our experiences in purchasing EC varied from easy to impossible. Two pharmacies, Professional Compounding Pharmacy and Rice's Pharmacy, did not stock EC, although Rice's Pharmacy referred us to another pharmacy. Rice's response was in line with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy's position on the issue.

Of the 13 visits, activists were unsuccessful in acquiring Plan B three times. Two of these visits were to pharmacies that did not stock Plan B. The third visit was to Good Samaritan Pharmacy, which does stock Plan B. In two of the three visits Good Samaritan Pharmacy received, women were able to buy Plan B. However, during the third visit, a woman was told the pharmacy did not stock Plan B, but would soon. This visit occurred after Plan B had successfully acquired from Good Samaritan Pharmacy. As would be expected for any drug, the information and policies regarding Plan B in every pharmacy must be understood and practiced by all staff in order to provide the highest level of care for patients.

The FMLA paid close attention to the pharmacy at OSU Student Health Services (SHS). SHS is the most proximate, convenient location for students to access health care as well as the most affordable. Of the two EC Stings at SHS, one provided quick, easy access, while the other did not. Student Health Services has been notified of the inconsistencies and is actively working on streamlining their protocol for dispensing the drug.

While our visits were largely successful, the importance of the three failed attempts needs to be highlighted. Had these actually been in emergency situations, unplanned pregnancies could have resulted. While OSU FMLA and PC OSU were generally pleased at the ease of buying EC, obvious policy changes must be made to fully meet the needs of Corvallis women and patients.

Emergency contraception must been quickly and easily available to everyone, not most of the time, but 100 percent of the time. Women deserve no less.

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Elizabeth Parker is a junior in geography. Nella Parks (co-author) is a senior in environmental science. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of The Daily Barometer staff.
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