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The Access Blueprint to Reimagine National Access to Contraception. 




United States of America

Freelance
Project team: Nicoletta Nobble Design researcher and myself

Currently 34 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws or regulations that allow pharmacists to provide contraceptive care, the journey to equitable access remains a complex, unfinished challenge. Roughly 19 to 20 million women are still living in areas where access is restricted or unavailable.

We were asked to build out a service to enable widespread access online and in person for contraception. 
Project Approach

  • We conducted research across 4 states, focusing exclusively on pharmacies in high-vulnerability census tracts, ensuring representation for Medicaid and low-income individuals often excluded.
  • We interviewed a hierarchy of pharmacy roles, from technicians to managers to pressure-test service viability and staff capacity.
  • Synthesized feedback from diverse patients and pharmacy staff to generate a series of project outcomes


Project Outcomes

  • We created a national blueprint for contraception that streamlines the patient journey without compromising clinical safety within a major US pharmacy
  • Identified the "happy path" opportunities and neutralized the "invisible" pain points that prevent effective service adoption.
  • The redesigned service model empowers pharmacists to deliver comprehensive contraception care through structured eligibility consultations and clinical assessments.
  • We designed a comprehensive service model that transforms pharmacies into accessible hubs for contraception. By mapping the entire patient journey from initial scheduling to clinical consultation we established a blueprint that balances patient expectations with operational reality.
  • Our work bridged current capabilities with future requirements by providing detailed program recommendations informed by both patient expectations and team member insights.
  • This holistic approach ensured a seamless experience for patients while establishing practical frameworks that enable pharmacy teams to confidently deliver this expanded service offering.



Key Consultation Recommendations from the research

  1. Ensure a standardized protocol offers comprehensive guidance, ideally employing built-in logic that should serve three primary functions: Eliminating ambiguity for staff in both what to prescribe and how to follow-up, ensuring a consistently high level of holistic care across patient backgrounds, and mitigating the potential for bias among TMs. Ensure any state-specific follow-up needs/restrictions (e.g., refills, repeat assessment, time horizon for PCP follow-up, etc.) are flagged.

  2. Consider hands-on and continuous training to instill confidence in staff who may be more apprehensive about the services. Some state-specific legal requirements may require additional hands-on training. Ensure additional resources, further training modules, and opportunities for continuous learning and knowledge refresh beyond the initial training are available to TMs online and as job aids, fostering a supportive environment where TMs build prescriptive confidence over time.

  3. Ensure stores offering the service have adequate space for consultations. For stores without private rooms today, explore ways to enhance privacy and comfort with essential amenities such as privacy/sound barriers, seating for patients who will receive BP readings, hardware to capture the consultation, and (if applicable) access to a nearby restroom for pregnancy tests. 

  4. Prioritize Spanish-language support in the service. Ensure Spanish-language outreach, scheduling, and assessment is available. Consider how virtual care, bilingual techs, or remote bilingual pharmacists can close care gaps in areas where there are language gaps, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in service delivery for communities most likely to take advantage of this service.






Service Blueprint (The Service Model)

By mapping the entire patient journey from initial scheduling to clinical consultation we established a blueprint that balances patient expectations with operational reality. Presenting the future state aspirations alongside the existing day-to-day processes and systems to depict the MVP from day one.
The blueprint was created with the following inp uts;
  • Patient research
  • TM research
  • Desk research (existing research)
  • Competitive analysis
  • Stakeholder engagement








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