General practitioners support of adherence to and uptake of prescription contraception: An exploratory study

Abstract

Background: Improving adherence to contraception requires an understanding of general practitioners (GPs) views of adherence and uptake. In this study we explored GPs perspectives on this aspect of prescription contraception. Method: A qualitative study was carried out, which involved individual interviews with 18 purposively sampled GPs. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: GPs believed that adherence to the contraceptive pill (OCP) was good for most across the life course. This assumption was often based on the notion of `individual responsibility`, and minimum interaction between the GP and service user on the issues of adherence, post first consultation. GPs were more familiar with prescribing the OCP than the long acting reversible methods (LARCs) and therefore continue to prescribe the OCP more frequently. Barriers to supporting adherence included awareness of the problem, time constraints and costs to the practice for prescribing LARCs. Furthermore, not all GPs provided LARCs due to inadequate training and potential deskilling. Discussion: It is necessary to address GP awareness, contraception training, skill maintenance, costs and time constraints to support adherence to and uptake of prescription contraception.