USA: EC prescription increase in Massachusetts retail pharmacies 

July 2024. In Massachusetts, a standing order policy was introduced in August 2022, to remove barriers to contraceptive prescription. The standing order allows pharmacists to prescribe ulipristal acetate ECPs (which are prescription-only in the US) and LNG ECPs (which are OTC). A study, by Qato et al., aimed at evaluating the association of this policy…

RHSC: 2023 Social Marketing Statistics Report

RHSC: 2023 Social Marketing Statistics Report

July 2024. The Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) just published the Contraceptive Social Marketing Statistics Report 2023. The report (which to date has been published by DKT) aggregates last year’s sales data for contraceptives and safe abortion supplies of Social Marketing programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide. Regarding emergency contraception, over 39 million…

USA: Decline in EC use after Dobbs decision, in some states.

July 2024. In the United States of America, a recent study observed an important decline in emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) dispensing a year after the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, especially in states with more restrictive abortion policies. The Dobbs decision devolved regulations and competencies on abortion procedures to the states, eliminating the…

Germany: Court ruling on EC dispensing

Germany: Court ruling on EC dispensing

June 2024. In Germany, the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court ruled that a pharmacist cannot refuse dispensing emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) because of his or her beliefs or “conscience”. The Berlin Pharmacist Chamber had initiated a process against a pharmacist who systematically refused to stock and dispense ECPs in his pharmacy because he believed ECPs could…

Spain: New report on access to contraception

Spain: New report on access to contraception

June 2024. The Spanish Family Planning Federation (SEDRA) just published an assessment of contraception accessibility in the 17 regions (Comunidades Autónomas) that conform Spain. Access to emergency contraception (EC) is included, in particular, free-of-cost provision and quality of the information provided to EC users regarding mechanism of action and subsequent use of contraception after EC. …

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

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…