The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7357 p41
9 July 2005

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One-third of women prefer to obtain EHC from pharmacies

Making emergency hormonal contraception available over the counter has not increased its use, although fewer women now obtain it from GPs and clinics, say researchers.

Data from the Omnibus Survey, which questions about 7,600 adults in the UK per year, were analysed for the period 2000–02.

Researchers found that the level of use of EHC in women aged 16 to 49 years was similar before and after it became available OTC in 2001 (8.4 per cent in 2000, 7.9 per cent in 2001 and 7.2 per cent in 2002). In addition, its pattern of use remained stable, with no fall in use of regular methods of contraception.

In 2002, 32.6 per cent of women obtained EHC from pharmacies, 48.8 per cent from GPs (down from 62 per cent in 2000) and 18.2 per cent from family planning clinics (down from 33 per cent in 2000) (BMJ Online First, 8 July).