Types of combined oral contraceptives used by US women

摘要

The findings of Hall and Trussell [1] were enlightening in regard to combined oral contraceptive (COC) products used by women during the time frame from 2006 to 2010. The authors provide an example of the multitude of COCs available and the potential for confusion that can exist regarding what is exactly in each product when therapeutic equivalents are given "brand" names. The COC market is influenced by health insurance formularies, pharmaceutical company marketing and the pharmacies themselves. I found the clinical relevance of the results presented by Hall and Trussell to need further delineation for these reasons. Most commonly, women are prescribed a COC and, when a therapeutic equivalent (generic) is available, receive whichever one is provided by that pharmacy. Going to a different pharmacy or even the same pharmacy for a refill can result in a different equivalent product being substituted. Thus, the product being used at the time of the survey from which Hall and Trussell obtained their data could have been a different equivalent product the month before.