Easier access to hormonal birth control at local pharmacies
Hormonal contraceptive Access via Pharmacist-Prescribing Implementation package (HAPPI)
Tools and an app to help community pharmacists offer hormonal birth control more easily for people who want reliable contraception.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Empowerx, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Del Mar, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193202 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your local pharmacists would help shape a new app and online toolkit that supports pharmacist-prescribed hormonal birth control. The team will use co-design methods with patients and community pharmacists to create prototypes, then run development, evaluation, and implementation phases. They will pilot the software in community pharmacies and build a web-based community of practice so pharmacists can learn from each other. User feedback from patients and pharmacists will guide improvements to make the service fit real-world pharmacy workflows.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people of reproductive age seeking hormonal birth control who prefer pharmacy-based access or have trouble getting clinic appointments.
Not a fit: People who cannot or prefer not to use hormonal contraception, those seeking long-acting devices like IUDs or implants, or those in areas where pharmacists are not authorized to prescribe may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it quicker and easier to get hormonal contraception at community pharmacies, reducing barriers to timely birth control.
How similar studies have performed: Pharmacist-prescribing programs in several states have already improved contraception access, though this specific app-and-toolkit approach is a newer implementation being piloted.
Where this research is happening
Del Mar, UNITED STATES
- Empowerx, INC. — Del Mar, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rafie, Sally — Empowerx, INC.
- Study coordinator: Rafie, Sally
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.