I have small hands so find it hard to reach the brakes in the drops and to brake effectively on the hoods, so I got a set of 3T handle bars.http://www.3ttt.com/ing/fr_curve.htm
(Click on Choose the Product, then select 'Eva' )

They're made specifically for smaller hands and they do several different sorts. The ones I've got are actually aimed more at touring bikes,but the shape of them means they bring your hands closer to the levers when in the drops.

Also, if you're riding Shimano you can adjust a screw just inside the lever which pulls it in closer to the handlebars .You need to get the brake cable shortened but your LBS can do this for you very easily. This helped a lot as you don't need to pull so hard on the brakes to get them to work.

Hope this helps.