The ALLIANCE Trial
QuAlity famiLy pLanning servIces and referrAls in commuNity pharmaCy: Expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice
What is ALLIANCE?
The ALLIANCE trial provides an opportunity to use the pharmacy setting to increase contraceptive knowledge, access and use among women presenting to pharmacies for emergency contraception (EC) or early medical abortion (EMA) medicines, and may reduce their chances of a future unwanted pregnancy
The co-designed ALLIANCE approach
The ALLIANCE intervention consists of three components:
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Contraceptive counselling is central to holistic and person-centred contraceptive care. It can improve a person's contraceptive knowledge, self-efficacy and access. Importantly, it can help support an individual to choose a contraceptive method that aligns most with their individual circumstances.
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Contraceptive counselling will be delivered in a private consultation room as part of a billed (funded) consultation
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Through the referral component, pharmacists will support patients to identify and access follow-up contraceptive care services, if they choose it.
ALLIANCE Trial pharmacist participants will benefit from...
FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENTS
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Pharmacies will receive a reimbursement of $1500
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Pharmacists will receive $56 per consultation that they deliver within the intervention period
EDUCATION AND TRAINING + CPD POINTS
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Online contraceptive education module - developed and accredited by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
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Academic detailing session to support implementation
MEMBERSHIP TO THE AusCAPPS NETWORK ONLINE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
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Providing access to information, learning opportunities, resources and connection with peers
SUPPORT TO IDENTIFY REFERRAL PATHWAYS
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To increase collaboration with local contraception prescribers
Eligibility criteria for pharmacists
Eligible pharmacists will be working in community pharmacies located in either metropolitan, regional or rural areas of NSW, VIC and the NT and have consent from the pharmacy owner to participate.
Furthermore, the pharmacy must have:
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Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP) accreditation
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A private consultation room
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At least one pharmacist (≥0.8 FTE) willing to participate
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Participating pharmacist accredited MS-2 Step dispenser
Why we are doing this research
Women who undergo a medical abortion or use emergency contraception are more likely than others to have a future unintended pregnancy.
Community pharmacists can provide contraceptive counselling and refer their patients to contraception providers in a timely manner, but pharmacists face a number of barriers to providing this level of care.
These barriers include a lack of knowledge and training on how to provide contraceptive counselling, lack of remuneration to pharmacists to provide this service and lack of knowledge about suitable referral options.
Project Partners
Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health
Gippsland Primary Health Network
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
Family Planning New South Wales
Sexual Health Victoria
Family Planning Welfare Association Northern Territory
Jean Hailes for Women's Health
Australian Pharmaceutical Industries Limited
The ALLIANCE Trial is funded by the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund
(MUHREC#34563 and ANZCTR 12622001024730)
Contact us
Read the study's explanatory statement for more detail
For more information, please email ALLIANCE.trial@monash.edu
