Universal Pharmacare and Contraceptive Dispensations Among Youth.

IMPORTANCE

Previous studies have suggested that removing financial barriers to contraception could help reduce unintended pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether introduction of universal public funding for prescription contraception in Ontario (OHIP+) for individuals younger than 25 years and the amended program, which limited public funding to those without private insurance (OHIP-), is associated with changes in contraceptive dispensations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Interrupted time-series analyses were used to evaluate whether implementation of either policy was associated with changes in monthly contraceptives dispensed. The setting included a national database on contraceptives dispensed from retail pharmacies between September 2016 and February 2020; data analysis was performed from May 2022 to 2024. Participants included Ontario females aged 15 to 24 years to whom prescriptions were dispensed (intervention) vs controls: (1) Canadian females aged 15 to 24 years, excluding Ontario, and (2) Ontario females aged 25 to 49 years.

EXPOSURES

Implementation of free prescription contraception through OHIP+ (January 2018-March 2019) and OHIP- (April 2019-February 2020).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Monthly dispensations of intrauterine devices (IUDs) and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) per 1000 females overall and by area-level socioeconomic status (SES).

RESULTS

After OHIP+, there was an immediate level increase in IUDs dispensed to Ontario females aged 15 to 24 years (intervention) of 0.50 (95% CI, 0.15-0.84) vs 0.03 (95% CI, -0.26 to 0.32) in Canadian females aged 15 to 24 years-a relative increase of 0.48 (95% CI, 0.02-0.91). There was an immediate level increase in OCPs dispensed to Ontario females aged 15 to 24 years of 22.3 (95% CI, 14.8-29.8) vs 7.57 (95% CI, 3.07-12.1) in those aged 25 to 49 years-a relative increase of 14.8 (95% CI, 6.15-23.4). There were no statistically significant changes in monthly dispensation trends after OHIP+ and no statistically significant changes after OHIP-. In areas with lower SES, there was a significant increase in the level for IUDs of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.02-1.26) and for OCPs of 13.2 (95% CI, 1.33-25.0) after OHIP+, and a significant decrease in the level for IUDs of 0.82 (95% CI, -1.55 to -0.09) after OHIP- in Ontario vs Canadian females aged 15 to 24 years. No statistically significant changes in IUD or OCP dispensations were observed in areas with higher SES vs controls.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Results reveal that providing comprehensive and confidential access to prescription contraceptives was associated with increased dispensations among Ontario youth.