Your Patient Needs Ella — Now What?

You've determined that Ella (Ulipristal Acetate 30 mg) is the right emergency contraceptive for your patient. Maybe she's past the 72-hour window for Levonorgestrel, or her weight makes Ella the more reliable option. You write the prescription, and then comes the hard part: where can she actually fill it?

For a medication that's been on the market since 2010, Ella remains surprisingly difficult to find at retail pharmacies. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to helping your patients locate and access Ella quickly.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

As of 2026, the Ella availability landscape looks like this:

• Not in official shortage: Perrigo Company continues manufacturing Ella. It is not on the FDA Drug Shortage Database.
• Pharmacy stocking is inconsistent: Many chain and independent pharmacies do not routinely stock Ella due to low and unpredictable demand.
• No generic exists: Ella remains the only Ulipristal Acetate product on the U.S. market, with no generic competition to increase supply.
• Telehealth has become a primary access point: Platforms like Nurx, Wisp, and GoodRx Care have filled the gap left by traditional pharmacies.

For a comprehensive overview, see our provider briefing on the Ella shortage.

Why Patients Can't Find Ella

Understanding the barriers helps you counsel patients and set expectations:

Prescription Requirement

Ella requires a prescription, which immediately limits availability. Pharmacies stock what moves, and a prescription-only, single-dose emergency contraceptive doesn't move fast enough at most locations to justify shelf space.

Wholesaler Gaps

Even when a pharmacist is willing to order Ella, their primary wholesaler may not have it in stock. Some distributors carry it intermittently, creating unpredictable supply at the pharmacy level.

Stigma and Policy

In some regions, pharmacies or individual pharmacists may decline to stock or dispense emergency contraception. While legal protections vary by state, this remains a barrier in certain areas.

Patient Awareness

Many patients don't know that Ella exists or don't realize it requires a prescription. By the time they learn about it, the time-sensitive window may be closing.

What Providers Can Do: 5 Steps

Step 1: Prescribe Proactively

The single most impactful thing you can do is offer advance prescriptions for Ella during routine visits. Don't wait for an emergency to prescribe emergency contraception. Discuss it during:

• Annual well-woman exams
• Contraceptive counseling visits
• Postpartum visits
• Any visit where reproductive health is discussed

Ella has a shelf life of several years, so patients can keep it at home and use it if needed. This eliminates the pharmacy search entirely.

Step 2: Verify Stock Before Prescribing

Before sending an e-prescription to a specific pharmacy, recommend that your patient (or your staff) verify that the pharmacy has Ella in stock. Use Medfinder for Providers to check real-time availability at nearby pharmacies.

Alternatively, call the pharmacy directly. Ask for "Ella, Ulipristal Acetate 30 mg tablet" — using both brand and generic names improves recognition.

Step 3: Know Your Local Stocking Pharmacies

Keep a running list of pharmacies in your area that reliably stock Ella. This might include:

• Pharmacies near university campuses (higher demand)
• Pharmacies affiliated with reproductive health clinics
• Planned Parenthood health centers
• Independent pharmacies that have agreed to stock it

Share this list with your front desk and nursing staff so they can direct patients quickly.

Step 4: Offer Telehealth Alternatives

When no local pharmacy has Ella in stock, direct patients to telehealth platforms that can prescribe and ship:

• Nurx: $45 for Ella without insurance, free ground shipping, $15 overnight
• Wisp: Same-day prescriptions, fast shipping
• GoodRx Care: Online consultation with pharmacy routing
• Planned Parenthood Direct: Available in many states via app

Overnight shipping from these services can get Ella to a patient within 24 hours — still well within the 5-day efficacy window.

Step 5: Discuss Costs Upfront

Cost can be a barrier, especially for uninsured patients. Counsel patients on their options:

• Insurance: Under the ACA, most plans cover Ella at $0 when prescribed
• GoodRx coupons: Can reduce the price to $39-$43
• Telehealth platforms: Around $45 without insurance
• Planned Parenthood: May offer sliding-scale pricing

Direct patients to our savings guide for Ella or our provider resource on helping patients save money.

When to Recommend Alternatives

If Ella is genuinely inaccessible within the clinical window, consider these alternatives:

• Copper IUD (Paragard): If you can place it same-day, this is actually more effective than Ella (>99%). Effective up to 5 days post-intercourse, with the added benefit of long-term contraception.
• Plan B One-Step (Levonorgestrel 1.5 mg): Available OTC at virtually every pharmacy. Most effective within 72 hours. A practical choice when Ella can't be obtained and the patient is within the 3-day window.
• Generic Levonorgestrel (Take Action, My Way): Same efficacy as Plan B at lower cost ($10-$35 OTC).

For a patient-facing comparison, direct them to our article on alternatives to Ella.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

Integrating Ella access into your clinical workflow can save time and improve patient outcomes:

• Create a pharmacy reference sheet: Maintain an up-to-date list of pharmacies that stock Ella. Review and update quarterly using Medfinder.
• Train front desk staff: Ensure staff know to ask patients if they need help finding Ella and can provide the pharmacy reference list or Medfinder link.
• Add advance Rx to templates: Include emergency contraception in your counseling templates for reproductive-age patients.
• Stock Ella in-office: If your practice model allows it, consider dispensing Ella directly. This eliminates the pharmacy barrier entirely.
• Document patient education: Note in the chart that you discussed emergency contraception access and provided resources.

Final Thoughts

The gap between Ella's clinical availability and its practical accessibility is one of the more frustrating challenges in reproductive healthcare. As providers, we can bridge this gap by prescribing proactively, maintaining pharmacy contact lists, leveraging tools like Medfinder, and connecting patients with telehealth alternatives.

The 5-day efficacy window gives us more time to work with than Levonorgestrel-based options, but every hour still matters. A few minutes of preparation and workflow integration can make the difference between a patient getting the medication she needs and one who gives up in frustration.

For more provider resources, see our Ella shortage briefing and our guide on helping patients save money on Ella.