The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7185 p197-203
16 February 2002

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Related websites
Society for the protection of unborn children (www.spuc.org.uk)
Family Planning Association (www.fpa.org.uk)

EHC court case is "stark issue"

An attempt by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) to overturn legislation allowing emergency hormonal contraception to be sold as a pharmacy medicine raises stark issues, Richard Gordon, QC, the group's counsel said, speaking in the High Court on 12 February, the opening day of the case.

SPUC has brought its case under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. SPUC wants the court to declare that the Secretary of State for Health acted outside his powers by introducing the Prescription Only Medicine (Human Use) Amendment (No 3) Order 2000 which came into force last year and allows Levonelle-2 (levonorgestrel) to be sold in pharmacies.

The case is being opposed by Schering Health, the manufacturer of Levonelle-2, and Health Secretary Alan Milburn.

The case was continuing as The Journal went to press.

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