"Expanding knowledge and access
to emergency contraception"
"Expanding knowledge and access to emergency contraception in Europe"
The ASTRA Network has informed us that in mid-February 2017, the Polish Government announced that it accepted a project proposing to restrict access to the only ECP available over the counter (UPA ECP). This project is to be discussed in plenary and voted upon in the next session of the Sejm, possibly as early as March….
In February 2017, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population & Development launched the ContraceptionAtlas, a map scoring 45 European countries on access to modern contraception. Included among the examined factors are number of contraceptives available, what sort of information is available online, level of reimbursement, and availability of emergency contraception. According to the atlas, France is number…
In March 2016, pharmaSuisse and IENK (groupe interdisciplinaire d’experts/es en contraception d’urgence) published tools to facilitate EC counseling and provision among health care professionals, such as pharmacists and family planning staff. These tools, including a flow-chart (seen at right), are available in French, German, and Italian and can be accessed through the box on the…
According to a report published by the Italian Ministry of Health (available in English), the abortion rate in Italy dropped by 9,3% in 2015. In April 2015, the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) eliminated the mandatory prescription requirement for UPA EC pills for women older than 18, and in October 2015, AIFA eliminated the mandatory prescription requirement for LNG EC pills as well. This…
(December 16, 2016) As of December 14, 2016, and for the first time in the history of Malta, dedicated emergency contraceptive pills are available for purchase behind the counter in Maltese pharmacies. UPA EC pills are already on the market, and LNG pills are expected in the coming weeks. Untill 2016, Malta was the only…
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) recently launched a campaign in the UK calling for LNG EC to be made available directly on pharmacy shelves at an affordable price. Currently in the UK, women can only obtain EC from behind the pharmacy counter after a consultation with a pharmacist, and LNG EC costs up to £30,…
On October 17th, 2016, the head of the Malta Medicines Authority, Serracino Inglott, announced that the sale of EC pills will be allowed without a prescription. According to an article from Times of Malta: “The authority has always based its decisions on three things; quality, safety of patients and efficacy. By asking patients to go to doctors…
A study published in September 2016 in the European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care looks at the characteristics and profiles of 1773 women who presented at an emergency service (ES) for a prescription of EC (mandatory until May 2015) in Italy. The study found that the mean age of the women was 26.0 years;…
(October 5, 2016) Gideon Richter released a new video that provides a very clear and easy-to-understand explanation of the mechanism of action of EC. This video, which incorporates 3-D animation, can be found here and is available for use in educational programas and trainings.
(October 5, 2016) The fall issue of the Journal of the University of Malta Medical School (Vol.28 Issue 3, 2016) focuses its editorial on emergency contraception. The article states that the most recent scientific evidence shows that LNG ECP delays ovulation and does not prevent implantation nor does ECP cause the loss of implanted embryos, and…
On May 2016, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the use of a non-hormonal emergency contraceptive (EC) when a woman in need of EC is using other interacting medicines (such as the HIV medicine efavirenz and ritonavir, certain medicines for tuberculosis and epilepsy, and herbal medicines containing St John’s wort). If using a cooper IUD…
A study published in March 2016 by researchers from the Department of International Health of Maastricht University, assesses the status of EC pills in European Union and associated countries a year after UPA was allowed for sale without prescription, and also looks into the impact of this switch on EC pills sales. Status of Emergency Contraceptives in Europe One Year…
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