Pharmacists call for Morning After Pill to be made available without Prescription

Monday, 30 August 2010 13:40

In response to a call this morning from Choice Ireland, the Irish Pharmacy Union has reiterated its call for pharmacists to be enabled to provide Emergency Hormonal Contraception, also known as the Morning After Pill, to patients without a doctor's prescription. The Union said that pharmacists have the skills and competencies to dispense hormonal contraceptives and provide appropriate advice and counselling to such patients.

Meath pharmacist Kathy Maher said "It is important that patients get timely access to Emergency Hormonal Contraception and many often find it difficult to get a prescription at the weekend and come into pharmacies urgently looking for Emergency Hormonal Contraception. Pharmacists should be able to provide such a service and this could be done with appropriate advice, counselling and within agreed protocols. Emergency Hormonal Contraception should never be the only form of contraception used and pharmacists could also refer patients back to their GP, where appropriate, for a consultation on their contraceptive choices once the morning after pill has been dispensed.” 

Pharmacists already provide advice to patients on sexual health and on sexually transmitted diseases. Campaigns have been organised throughout Irish pharmacies to raise awareness about contraception options and the dangers of sexually transmitted infections.

A study published in the British Medical Journal after patients in the UK were enabled to access Emergency Hormonal Contraception directly from pharmacists found that it did not appear to have led to an increase in its use or to a decrease in the use of other forms of contraception.

The Irish Pharmacy Union is the representative body for 1,800 community pharmacists across the country.