Research project duration: 24 September 2023 - 28 February 2025

Research project team (linked to ORCID): Prof. Dr. Bernhard Langer, Anne Beck (B.Sc.), Antonia M. Dreier (B.Sc.), Rosa Gabrieljan (B.Sc.), Hanna Hilgenhof (B.Sc.), Johanna Latuske (B.Sc.), Carolin Priepke (B.Sc.), Katharina Schaihadinow (B.Sc.), Helene Schwarz (B.Sc.)

External researcher (linked to ORCID): Christian Kunow (M.A.)

Research project abstract: 

Background and objectives
An unnecessary recommendation of oral emergency contraception has health (unnecessary hormone exposure) and financial (relative high cost of oral emergency contraception) disadvantages for the women concerned. The primary objective is therefore to determine whether community pharmacies recommend oral emergency contraception unnecessarily. In addition, it will be analyzed to what extent the study results differ with regard to various potential influencing factors (e.g. call duration or gender of the pharmacy staff). To date, there has been no comparable study either nationally or internationally.

Study design
Mystery calls, as a special form of the simulated patient methodology, represent covert participatory observation by test callers (mystery callers) who contact community pharmacies to simulate a real-life conversation situation based on a previously defined scenario. The data is then recorded by the mystery callers using an evaluation form. The methodology is internationally regarded as the "gold standard" for achieving the study objectives.

Scenario
The mystery callers simulate a situation in which the regular oral contraception has been forgotten, but it is possible to take it later within a time window of up to 12 hours, so that contraceptive protection is still provided. The possible recommendation of oral emergency contraception by the pharmacy staff is therefore unnecessary according to the guidelines of the German Federal Chamber of Pharmacists.

Study participants
Representative random sample of all community pharmacies in Germany, stratified by federal states, based on the federal directory of pharmacies.

The study results will be published in a high-quality international journal as open access.