Belgium and Germany: Assessing EC dispensing practices in community pharmacies
May 2024. Two recent studies looked into EC dispensing practices in community pharmacies in Europe.
Poland: Pilot program for pharmacy prescribing of ECPs
May 2024. In Poland on May 1st, 2024, a new regulation came into effect as a temporary pilot program, through which individuals over the age of 15 can consult with a pharmacist, obtain a prescription, and directly purchase UPA ECP. To date, a visit to a doctor was needed to obtain a prescription, prior to…
Switzerland: Assessment of pharmacy EC counseling
May 2024. Switzerland and the United Kingdom are the only two European countries where pharmacists are mandated to counsel individuals seeking emergency contraception. A recent study by the Pharmaceutical Care Research Group of the University of Basel, looked at customer satisfaction with the counselling received in 195 Swiss pharmacies. Results show that the need for…
WHO: Emergency contraception is self-care
April 2024. In 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) included the recommendation of “making emergency contraception pills available without prescription”, in its Guideline on Self-care interventions for health and well-being. The recommendation was based on a systematic review conducted in 2021. Now WHO publishes a technical document to further disseminate this recommendation and the evidence behind it. A…
Growth of the Francophone West and Central Africa emergency contraception market
April 2024. DKT International recently published a paper sharing the results of it social marketing strategy to expand the EC market in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo. DKT focused on offering high-quality, affordable EC, while carrying out “high-visibility, positive campaigns to end-users and raising awareness with pharmacists and healthcare…
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) endorses ECPs dispensing recommendations
April 2024. We are thrilled to announce that the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has endorsed the consensus statement published last September by the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health (ESC), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception. The consensus statement recommends…
Russian Federation: LNG EC pills without a prescription
April 2024. According to the Russian State Register of Medical Products emergency contraception (EC) pills containing levonorgestrel under the brand names Escapel and Postinor, have been switched to OTC products and can be bought without a doctor’s prescription since January 2024. See registration certificates here and here.
Poland: President vetoes EC OTC. Is pharmacist prescription the only way out?
April 2024. On March 29, Polish President Andrzej Duda refused to sign the amendment to the Pharmaceutical Law that proposed making emergency contraception pills (ECPs) available without a prescription for individuals above 15 years old (read here). In efforts to find alternative ways to make ECPs more accessible, on April 3rd, the Ministry of…
Minnesota (USA): Not filling an EC prescription constitutes discrimination
March 2024. In January 2019 a pharmacist refused to fill a prescription for the ulipristal acetate emergency contraception pill (ECP), in Aitkin County (a rural area of Minnesota) citing his religious believes. The case was brought to the county court in August 2022, where the jury found that the pharmacist had not discriminated against the…
Pathways to Change
March 2024. The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and partners launched Pathways to Change, a joint publication presenting the stories and strategies that have advanced sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in a number of countries around the world. The book includes a vivid explanation and analysis of the strategy led by the Women’s…
Poland closer to approve EC pills without a prescription
February 2024. On February 22, the Polish Parliament voted to approved access to emergency contraception pills without a prescription for individuals aged 15 and over. Following the approval by the Parliament, the bill will proceed to the Senate for further consideration. Upon approval by the Senate, the bill will then require the President’s signature to…
Launch of the 2024 Europe Contraception Policy Atlas
February 2024. The European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights (EPF) presented the 2024 edition of the Europe Contraception Atlas. ECEC was honored to participate in the launch event, bringing attention to persisting gaps in access to emergency contraception in Europe. Read more about the launch event here and retrieve the recording here….
