The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7214 p319-323
7 September 2002

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  Emergency hormonal contraception (EHC)
  Olanzapine
  Drug interactions
  Consent
  Tablet crushing
  Modernisation
  The Society

Letters to the Editor

EHC

Put the patient's well-being first not the shopper

From Mr M. D. Bowyer, MRPharmS

I find the position statement from Tesco (PJ, 24 August, p247) regarding emergency hormonal contraception incredible. Here we can see how the supermarket share of an enterprise is at odds with that of the practice of community pharmacy.

Obviously the concern expressed by a sizeable number of customers overrides the ethical consideration due to individuals, aged under 16, seeking to avoid a pregnancy.

Ms Beck, we put the patient's well-being first; not the sensitivities of purchasers of groceries. Perhaps Tesco should listen to young teenagers and react to their concerns!

Mark Bowyer
Oakwood, Derby

Provider, not moral educator

From Ms J. R. Tadros, MRPharmS

I would like to offer Barry Shooter (PJ, 31 August, p278) the benefit of an observation I have made in the course of many sales of emergency hormonal contraception. Most of the women I see arrive in a state of nervousness, somewhere between embarrassment and downright fear. The courage it takes them to consult me is evidence, I believe, of their dread of becoming pregnant, notwithstanding the "behaviour" which has led them to seek my help.

I, for one, will never be willing to play moral educator to my customers. Rather, I see myself as a provider of the necessary adjuncts to make their choices of sexual behaviour safe ones (condoms, oral contraceptives and EHC)

I do, however, make sure that I always stress to woman seeking EHC that it is not 100 per cent effective and that they should test for pregnancy if their next period is delayed. This, I have observed, leads them to seem more serious and reflective of their situation, and may perhaps influence their decision to have unprotected intercourse in future. Some, who have used EHC before, express surprise at hearing this. I believe that this is the educator's role we should adopt, to ensure that our customers do not have unrealistic expectations of the options that are now available to them.

I hope that the student Mr Shooter refers to will, in practice, simply refer customers seeking EHC to a willing provider, rather than delivering them an unprofessional and unwelcome moral lecture.

Janice Tadros
London NW2

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