From Mr A. B. McCoig, MRPharmS
SIR,-I continue to be extremely concerned by the current ambivalent position of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on the important issue of emergency hormonal contraception. We have within our grasp a unique opportunity to address an important social need through the proper development of community pharmacists as independent prescribers.
At the last local pharmaceutical committee representatives conference, delegates demonstrated widespread support for the proposal set out by Hemant Patel for the professional treatment of EHC within community pharmacies. As I understand the current Society position, executive officers have displayed no preference for the legal route that this product category should take to reach the public through the hands of a pharmacist. I, like many others, believe that the reclassification of EHC from POM to P will not necessarily be in the best interests of the patient. All rational pharmacists will appreciate that there is a clear duty to treat the sensitive issue of unwanted pregnancy differently from normal P category sales.
By maintaining the current policy towards EHC, the Society is de facto asking the Government to take the decision about the future legal framework on the pharmacy supply route. This, I fear, will prove to be too much of a temptation for Government economists. To allow all the sound developmental work that has been done in Manchester, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, and elsewhere to be consigned to history would be nothing short of a professional tragedy. Many LPCs around the country (and Croydon is one of them) are currently engaged in working with health authorities and primary care groups to introduce procedures and protocols based on these early pilot projects. All of us who practise in community pharmacies around the country know only too well that there are women in society who might seek advice on EHC who are not in a position to pay for the medicine required. All prescription contraception is currently without charge and should remain so. The responsibility to society for the free provision of EHC should be extended to community pharmacists.
To date, I have not learnt of any open debate concerning this issue from the Society prior to the current ambiguous policy. I have also yet to come across any colleague who believes that simple reclassification to the P category would be in the interest of patients and pharmacists. We should be extremely concerned about the legal position we may be in following such a move and in the compromising situation in which community pharmacists may find themselves with requests for such sales. The Society should take steps with all haste to end this absurd situation.
Andrew McCoig
Chairman, London LPC Forum