Italy: women under 18 no longer need a prescription to buy UPA EC
October 2020. On October 8th the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) reclassified ulipistral acetate (UPA) EC pill EllaOne to “non-prescription but non-over-the-counter medicinal product” (Resolution no. 998). To date, women under 18 needed a medical prescritpion, prior to purchasing UPA ECPs at the pharmacy.
According to AIFA’s statment, this measure aims to further protect the physical and psychological health of adolescents, and to prevent unplanned pregnancies among youth. The Report to Parliament of the Minister of Health of June 2020 reported that, according to 2018 data, “the increased use of emergency contraception with levonorgestrel and ulipistral acetate, had a positive effect on the reduction of pregnancy termination, which in Italy has continuously and progressively decreased since 1983”. Eliminating the prescription requirement for emergency contraception for minors aims, therefore, to contribute to reduce the conception rate under the age of 18 in the context of improving, in particular, the sexual health of adolescents and, more generally, of public health.”
You can read AIFA’s resolution here, and announcement of this reclassification here.
