Navigating Hormonal Contraceptive Medication Protocols: A Guide for Clinicians

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze specific legal protocols for prescribing and/or dispensing hormonal contraceptives.

2. Evaluate patient-specific medical history using the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria (USMEC) to determine candidates for hormonal methods.

3. Compare safety considerations and contraindications between combined and progestin-only hormonal contraceptives.

4. Apply patient-centered counseling techniques to educate patients on initiation, adherence, managing common side effects, and identifying warning signs for adverse events.

5. Develop follow-up plans that address drug interactions and patient-specific adherence challenges.

This continuing education activity provides an evidence-based review of hormonal contraceptive therapy for clinicians involved in contraceptive counseling, prescribing, medication review, referral, follow-up, and interprofessional care coordination. Designed for Medical Doctors, Physician Assistants, pharmacists, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, midwives, and other healthcare professionals, the course reviews major contraceptive classes, including combined hormonal contraceptives, progestin-only methods, and emergency contraception, while applying the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use to identify appropriate candidates, contraindications, precautions, and referral needs.

The course also uses pharmacist protocols in Arizona, South Carolina, and Maryland as examples of protocol-based contraceptive access models, while emphasizing that all clinicians must practice within their professional scope, state law, institutional policy, and current evidence-based guidance. For MDs and PAs, hormonal contraceptive care may involve pregnancy-risk assessment, medical eligibility review, blood pressure and vascular risk assessment, drug-interaction review, prescribing or renewing therapy, adverse-symptom evaluation, counseling, documentation, and referral for complex care needs. For pharmacists and other protocol-based clinicians, the same safety principles support standardized screening, counseling, documentation, and referral.

This activity addresses the need for timely, safe, and equitable access to contraceptive care across outpatient, primary care, women’s health, emergency, pharmacy, school-based, rural health, public health, and interprofessional settings. It helps clinicians apply CDC contraceptive guidance, compare method-specific risks and benefits, and coordinate safe, patient-centered care across disciplines rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

State requirement: This course satisfies the 3-hour continuing education requirement for pharmacists in Arizona, the 1-hour continuing education requirement for pharmacists in Maryland, and South Carolina.