The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7422 p437
14 October 2006

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National service specification for EHC published

The national template service specification for pharmacy-based emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) services was published last week.

The service allows for the supply of levonorgestrel EHC in line with the requirements of a local patient group direction. Pharmacies are required to provide a user-friendly, non-judgemental, client-centred and confidential service.

“The pharmacy contractor has a duty to ensure that pharmacists and staff involved in the provision of the service have relevant knowledge and are appropriately trained in the operation of the service, including sensitive, client-centred communication skills,” the service outline says. The service outline also states that verbal and written advice on the avoidance of sexually transmitted infections and the use of regular contraceptive methods, including advice on the use of condoms, should be provided to clients.

Beth Taylor, joint director, Community Health London/South East Specialist Pharmacy Services, commented: “This national template should make it easier for commissioners to put in place a pharmacy-based EHC service and it will help to ensure that the service introduced is consistent across England.

“I am pleased that it covers all the required elements, but also that it signposts people to the relevant clinical information. If you are running a service, you need a workable service specification that does not need to be changed every time a summary of product characteristics or a guideline is changed.

“In the future, I would like to see it develop into a broader specification for pharmacy-based sexual health services, including testing and treatments for sexually transmitted infections and oral contraception.”

The EHC specification is the first to be announced since the first 10 were revealed in September last year (PJ, 10 September 2005, p299). It is available from the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee website. The PSNC announced last month that it also plans to publish a specification for anticoagulation monitoring and a general one for patient group directions services.