Pharmacists play an important role in promoting community health by providing clients with referral information for physician care, ongoing contraception, and other community resources. For example, many women seen by pharmacists for EC services do not have an established relationship with a physician or clinic. Through referrals, pharmacists can help women without a health care provider to get care at a physician’s office or clinic.
A study conducted by the Public Health Institute showed that over a third of women seen by an EC Pharmacy Program pharmacist were provided with referrals to local physicians and clinics.
We have prepared a list of referral resources to help you better meet the needs of your clients. Pharmacists may be asked for information on a variety of topics including:
- Family planning
- STD or HIV/AIDS testing
- Pre-natal care
- Pregnancy testing and options counseling
- Health services
- Sexual assault and domestic violence services
- Child abuse
- Other resources
Click on a topic to access hotlines and web sites that may be referenced when providing EC services, or download this list (PDF-36K) (Editable Document-68K) and keep it in a convenient location for reference. Please let us know if any resources are missing or need to be updated.
- Family PACT
800-942-1054 (English & Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Hotline provides referrals to Family PACT providers throughout California. Family PACT provides free or low cost family planning services, including STD/HIV screening, pregnancy testing and counseling and pap tests, to low-income residents. Eligibility is very simple, and clients are enrolled at the doctor’s office at the time of first visit.
www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/pcfh/ofp/FamPACTNational Planned Parenthood Hotline
800-230-PLAN (English & Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Hotline connects you immediately to your local Planned Parenthood.
www.plannedparenthood.orgNot-2-Late The Emergency Contraception Website
888-NOT-2-LATE
Hours: 24 hours/day
Hotline identifies nearest location to obtain emergency contraception
ec.princeton.edu
- California HIV/AIDS Hotline
800-367-AIDS (English, Spanish, Tagalog)
888-225-AIDS (TDD)
415-863-2437 (from San Francisco & outside CA)
Hours: M-F, 9am-9pm; Sa, Su, Holidays, 10am-6pm (PST)
Provides HIV/AIDS information, counseling, and referrals to a free HIV testing site or support organization in California. Also provides information on safer sex, substance abuse and other related subjects.
www.aidshotline.org - County STD and HIV/AIDS testing sites
Below is a complete listing of county telephone numbers for STD and HIV/AIDS testing sites in California.
| Alameda STDs: 510-267-3220 HIV/AIDS: 510-873-6500 888-604-INFOAlpine 530-694-2146Amador 209-223-6407 Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa Del Norte El Dorado Fresno Glenn Humboldt Imperial Inyo Kern Kings Lake |
Lassen 530-251-8183Los Angeles 213-744-3284 Pasadena 626-744-6025 Long Beach 562-570-4315 Madera Marin Mariposa Mendocino Merced Modoc Mono Monterey Napa Nevada Orange Placer Plumas |
Riverside 909-358-5000Sacramento 916-227-0445 San Benito San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Joaquin San Luis Obispo San Mateo Santa Barbara Santa Clara Santa Cruz Shasta Sierra |
Siskiyou 1-800-442-2333 Yreka 530-841-4062 Mt. Shasta 530-926-4588Solano 707-553-5117 Sonoma Stanislaus Sutter Tehama Tulare Tuolumne Trinity Ventura Yolo Yuba |
- Family PACT
800-942-1054 (English & Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Provides automated referrals to family planning and STD/HIV testing clinics throughout California
www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/pcfh/ofp/FamPACT
- Baby Cal Information Line for Pregnant Women
800-BABY-999 (English & Spanish)
Effective June 30, 2003, the BabyCal campaign media and outreach activities were discontinued. The web site continues to provide valuable information to help educate pregnant women and families about the importance of prenatal care, practicing healthy behaviors during pregnancy and California programs that can help.
www.dhs.ca.gov/babycal - California Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program
888-WIC-Works
This program helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy by providing eligible women with checks for food and milk, support and information about, breast feeding, nutrition information and help in finding health care and community services. The web site includes information about WIC eligibility and enrollment.
www.wicworks.ca.gov - Safe Medication Use During Pregnancy (Pregnancy Risk Line)
866-626-6847
Organization of Teratology Information Services. For links to state-specific programs go to otispregnancy.org - County Maternal and Child Health Referral Lines
Below is a complete listing of toll-free numbers that provide in-county referrals for low or no-cost reproductive healthcare, family planning, and pediatric care.
| Alameda (510) 208-5980Alpine County (800) 292-2156 Amador Butte Calaveras Colusa Contra Costa Del Norte El Dorado Fresno Glenn Humboldt Imperial Inyo Kern |
Kings (800) 649-5399Lake (800) 794-9291 Lassen Los Angeles Madera Marin Mariposa Mendocino Merced Modoc Mono Monterey Napa |
Nevada (800) 371-6662Orange (800) 564-8448 Placer Plumas Riverside Sacramento San Benito San Bernardino San Diego San Francisco San Joaquin San Luis Obispo San Mateo Santa Barbara Santa Clara |
Santa Cruz *(831) 454-4339Shasta (800) 300-5122 Sierra Siskiyou Solano Sonoma Stanislaus Sutter Tehama Trinity Tulare Tuolumne Ventura Yolo Yuba |
* If line is not toll-free (800 or 888 line) may call collect at no charge to you.
Pregnancy Testing and Counseling
- Family PACT
800-942-1054 (English & Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Hotline provides referrals to Family PACT providers throughout California. Family PACT provides free or low cost family planning services, including pregnancy testing and options counseling to low-income residents. Eligibility is very simple, and clients are enrolled at the doctor’s office at the time of first visit.
www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/pcfh/ofp/FamPACT
- Healthy Families
800-880-5305 (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Farsi)
Hours: 8am-8pm (PST)
Government healthcare plan for low income children. Call hotline to receive an application, find out if your child qualifies, and to get referrals for health plans in your area.
www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov - Medi-Cal
916-636-1980
Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm (PST)
The receptionist will refer you to your county Medi-Cal office. If you are not currently a Medi-Cal applicant you may call this line to determine eligibility.
www.medi-cal.ca.gov
Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Trained counselors provide crisis assistance and information about local shelters, legal advocacy, health care centers and counseling.
www.ndvh.org - The Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (RAINN)
800-656-HOPE
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Automatically transfers you to the rape crisis center nearest you. It can also be used to find a domestic violence shelter in your area.
www.rainn.org
- Child Help USA Hotline
800-4-A-CHILD (Translation service available in any language)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Provides crisis intervention & counseling. Give 1-3 local referrals.
www.childhelpusa.org
Abortion
- National Planned Parenthood Hotline
800-230-PLAN (English & Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Hotline connects you immediately to your local Planned Parenthood.
www.plannedparenthood.org
Adoption
- California Department of Social Services Adoptions Branch Hotline
800-KIDS-4-US (English & Spanish)
Hours: M-F, 8am-6pm (PST)
Provides information about adoption and foster care programs and referrals to local public and private agencies.
www.childsworld.ca.gov
Suicide Prevention
- National Hopeline Network
800-SUICIDE (Translation service available in any language)
800-442-HOPE
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Immediately connects you to the crisis center closest to you.
www.hopeline.com - National Teen Line (Youth America Hotline)
877-968-8454 (Translation service available in any language)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Refers you to a teen crisis center closest to you.
Substance Abuse
- The National Drug Information, Treatment, and Referral Line
800-662-HELP (English)
800-66-AYUDA (Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Provides free, confidential answers to those seeking help for themselves or for someone they care about and provides referrals to local drug treatment programs.
Teen Services
- TEENLine
800-443-8336
Hours: 24 hours/ day
Provides peer-to-peer counseling and referrals to local health and social service agencies for teens.
Immigration
- National Customer Service Center for US Citizenship and Immigration Services
800-375-5283 (English & Spanish)
Provides information on immigrant benefits and referrals to local INS offices and doctors for the immigration medical examination.
www.immigration.gov - INS Direct for the California Service Area
(Only use this # if you’ve already completed processing.)
949-831-8427 - Immigration Lawyer Referral Service
800-954-0254 (English only)
When you call this line, you must leave a message, providing your name and location and describing your need for an immigration lawyer.
www.aila.org
Poison Control
- California Poison Control System
800-876-4766 (English & Spanish)
Hours: 24 hours/ day
The line has clinical pharmacists and registered nurses on call to provide information and referrals in case of a poison-related emergency.
www.calpoison.org