Are One of the Most Accessible Entry Points”

Pharmacists could help bridge a health-care gap by o ering more sexual health services e study found that most participants were confident in educating patients in many sexual and reproductive health topics, but that many wanted additional training in sexually transmi ed and blood-borne infections as well as health concerns specific to people in the queer and trans community.

People seeking sexual and reproductive health services have one more place to turn. Pharmacists can reduce barriers to access, a new University of Alberta study shows.

U of A researchers surveyed pharmacists in community pharmacies across Alberta to determine which sexual and reproductive health services they were already providing, and where they wanted to expand their training.

With more training and a co-ordinated e ort across the country, pharmacists could become a critical resource to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services. Currently, many people face barriers to these services, from limited clinic hours to lack of a primary care physician. “Pharmacies are one of the most accessible entry points for people to get into the system,” says Javiera Navarrete, a pharmacist and research co-ordinator. “COVID-19 has highlighted how important it is to use all the health-care resources we have.” e pair is collaborating with Nese Yuksel and Terri Schindel (Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences) and researchers in Japan and ailand to get a more comprehensive view of what pharmacists around the world are providing in terms of sexual and reproductive health services. One of the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services by 2030, and research is a key step toward creating a more unified strategy. e EPICORE Centre and the Alberta

Navarrete co-authored the study alongside Christine Hughes, professor and interim dean in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

SPOR Support Unit Consultation and Research Services supported the survey development and distribution, data management and statistical services. Navarrete received funding from the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID-Becas Chile) scholarship program.

— ADRIANNA MACPHERSON

Numbers

The number of frst time donors in 2021/22

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