Through the Lens of Expanded Scope of Practice: Training Requirements for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Across the United States
Abstract
1. Introduction
Context
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| CPA | Collaborative Practice Agreement |
| ACPE | American College of Pharmaceutical Education |
| CE | Continuing Education |
References
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| Training Requirement Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| No additional training requirement | Regulations do not define specific training requirements or specifically state that no additional training is required. |
| Authorization granted under the state practice act or through a collaborative practice agreement | Authority to prescribe contraceptives is included as part of pharmacist standard scope or through a collaborative practice agreement. |
| State-specified training program(s) | The regulations define one or more specific training programs or require a program that has been approved by the state board of pharmacy |
| Training programs meeting defined statutory or regulatory criteria | The regulations define specific topics that must be covered in the training program, but do not define a specific training program. |
| Any American College of Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) accredited training program | The regulations define that the training program must be ACPE accredited and on the topic of hormonal contraception. |
| Training incorporated within an accredited pharmacy school curriculum | The regulations state that training can occur as part of an accredited pharmacy school’s curriculum. |
| Must submit documentation of training completion to the state board before prescribing | The regulations require pharmacists to submit some type of documentation to the state board of pharmacy before participating in prescribing. |
| Completion of continuing education (CE) | Pharmacists are required to complete topical continuing education during registration cycles. |
| Other | Training does not qualify as any of the above |
| State/Jurisdiction n = 32 | Training Required | Type of Training | CE Requirement | Board Approval Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona [8] | Yes |
| 3 h | No |
| Arkansas [9] | Yes |
| CE Encouraged | No |
| California [10] | Yes |
| Minimum 1 h of CE before prescribing | No |
| Colorado [11] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Connecticut [12] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Delaware [13] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| District of Columbia [14] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Hawaii [15] | Yes |
| Yes | Yes, submit proof of completion of CE |
| Idaho [16] | No |
| No | No |
| Illinois [17] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Indiana [18] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Kentucky [19] | Yes (norgestrel 0.075 mg only) |
| Not Specified | No |
| Maine [20] | Yes |
| Not Specified | Yes, submit documentation (application and fee) of training completion |
| Maryland [21] | Yes |
| 1 h before license renewal date | Yes, at least 15 days before prescribing must submit Training Notification Form |
| Massachusetts [22] | Yes |
| Encouraged | No |
| Michigan [23] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Minnesota [24] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Nevada [25] | Yes |
| Not Specified | Yes, documentation of intent to dispense must be submitted |
| New Hampshire [26] | Yes |
| Yes, biennial | No |
| New Jersey [27] | Yes |
| Not Specified | Yes, must submit certificate of completion and written affirmation before prescribing |
| New Mexico [28] | Yes |
| Minimum of 0.2 CEU live biennial | No |
| New York [29] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| North Carolina [30] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Oregon [31] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Rhode Island [32] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| South Carolina [33] | Yes |
| Minimum 1 h of ACPE or continuing medical education | No |
| Tennessee [34] | Yes |
| Encouraged | No |
| Utah [35] | Yes |
| Yes, 2 h each renewal period | No |
| Vermont [36] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Virginia [37] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Washington [38] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| West Virginia [39] | Yes |
| Not Specified | No |
| Training Requirement Category | Number of Jurisdictions 1 n = 32 |
|---|---|
| State-specified training program(s) | 16, (50.0%) |
| Training incorporated within an accredited pharmacy school curriculum | 9, (28.1%) |
| Completion of continuing education | 8, (25.0%) |
| Training programs meeting defined statutory or regulatory criteria | 8, (25.0%) |
| Any ACPE-accredited training program | 6, (18.8%) |
| Documentation of training completion to the state board required | 5, (15.6%) |
| No additional training requirements | 1, (3.1%) |
| Authorization granted under the state practice act or through a collaborative practice agreement | 1, (3.1%) |
| Other | 1, (3.1%) |
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Share and Cite
Clark, T.; Sandru, I.; Kunkel, S.; Lynch, S. Through the Lens of Expanded Scope of Practice: Training Requirements for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Across the United States. Pharmacy 2026, 14, 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy14030082
Clark T, Sandru I, Kunkel S, Lynch S. Through the Lens of Expanded Scope of Practice: Training Requirements for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Across the United States. Pharmacy. 2026; 14(3):82. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy14030082
Chicago/Turabian StyleClark, Taylor, Ioana Sandru, Samantha Kunkel, and Sarah Lynch. 2026. "Through the Lens of Expanded Scope of Practice: Training Requirements for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Across the United States" Pharmacy 14, no. 3: 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy14030082
APA StyleClark, T., Sandru, I., Kunkel, S., & Lynch, S. (2026). Through the Lens of Expanded Scope of Practice: Training Requirements for Pharmacist-Prescribed Contraception Across the United States. Pharmacy, 14(3), 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy14030082
