"Expanding knowledge and access to
emergency contraception in Europe"
"Expanding knowledge and access to emergency contraception in Europe"
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…
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. …
June 2024. A recent study assessed the availability of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) in Australian community pharmacies. The study found that 30 % of the pharmacies surveyed did not stock ulipristal acetate (UPA) ECPs, despite being recommended as the first-line oral EC. On average, UPA ECPs were 13$ more expensive than LNG ECPs. ECP accessibility…
May 2024. Two recent studies looked into EC dispensing practices in community pharmacies in Europe.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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